APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) President Emmerson Mnangagwa took oath of office on Monday for a second five-year term, swearing to uphold the country’s constitution and govern for all Zimbabweans irrespective of their political persuasion.
Mnangagwa, who won a controversial second and final term in general elections held at the end of August, was sworn in by Chief Justice Luke Malaba at the 60,000-seater National Sports Stadium in the capital Harare.
In his inaugural speech, Mnangagwa promised to deliver on his electoral promises, including empowerment of women and the youth, improvement of food security and implementation of infrastructure projects.
“My new government will deliver on the promises we made to you,” he said.
The ceremony was graced by three fellow Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders – Felix Tshisekedi of Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique’s Filipe Nyusi and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa.
SADC is a 16-member regional bloc that seeks to promote good governance and economic integration of southern Africa.
The other 12 SADC leaders sent representatives to the ceremony following a damning report about the conduct of the August 23-24 poll by an observer mission from the region that was led by former Zambian vice president Nevers Mumba.
Among those who did not show up at the inauguration ceremony were Angolan President João Lourenço who is current SADC chairperson and his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema, chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation that deployed the observer mission that issued the damning report.
Those who attended the ceremony included former Mozambican president Joachim Chissano, Nigerian vice-president Kashim Shettima, Hichilema’s predecessor Edgar Lungu, Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa and Rwandan Senate president François Xavier Kalinda.
JN/APA