Zimbabwe yet to set date for President-elect Mnangagwa’s inauguration – Spokesman

Zimbabwean presidential spokesperson George Charamba has said the date for President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inauguration will be set after the government is sure that there will not be any petition challenginfg the July 30 election result in court.

Charamba was responding to social media reports that inauguration would take place as early as Monday.

He told Monday’s Herald newspaper that the delay in announcing the inauguration date was in accordance with the law.

“Government does not announce its programs through the social media. If the date has been set we will announce. How do you know that there won’t be a challenge to the results?

“We wait for the seven days to lapse. If there is no legal challenge to the result then naturally we will announce the date,” he said.

Mnangagwa won the presidential election after polling 50.8 per cent of the vote against nearest rival Nelson Chamisa of the MDC-Alliance who polled 44.3 per cent.

Chamisa has since disputed the result and promised to contest it in court.

According to the Constitution, any aggrieved presidential candidate may challenge the validity of an election within seven days after the date of the declaration of results.

Meanwhile, life is slowly returning to normal in Zimbabwe after the violence that erupted following the polls..

Chamisa’s party has also said it will challenge the results in at least 20 constituencies won by ZANU-PF.

While there have been celebrations over the results in some quarters and expressions of bitterness in others, people have begun concentrating on their work instead of remaining fixated with the events of the past week in which six people died after the army fired on protesting civilians.

The civilians, mainly supporters of the MDC Alliance, were protesting the delay in announcing the election results and alleging that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was trying to manipulate them in favour of ZANU-PF.