Zimbabwe’s electoral commission announced late Saturday that incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa won this week’s presidential election with about 53% of the vote.

 

The opposition immediately questioned the results, as Mnangagwa was widely expected to keep power after taking over from longtime authoritarian leader Robert Mugabe in a 2017 coup.

 

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said Mnangagwa’s main challenger, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change party, received 44% of the vote.

 

ZANU-PF supporters celebrated the results, but a CCC spokesperson rejected them, saying they were “hastily assembled without proper verification.“

 

Mnangagwa narrowly beat Chamisa in disputed 2018 elections as well. While campaigning was largely peaceful, the opposition alleges unfair advantages for the ruling ZANU-PF party that has governed for over 40 years.

 

Observers from the EU and southern African SADC bloc noted voting delays, banned opposition rallies, and bias in state media coverage.

 

Voting was originally scheduled for one day but extended into Thursday due to delayed ballot paper delivery in some areas.

 

The opposition continues scrutinizing the results amid fear and perceived state suppression of dissent under Mnangagwa’s leadership.