Zimbabweans vote in first election since Mugabe's removal

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Zimbabweans go to the polls on Monday in the first election since the removal of Robert Mugabe, a watershed vote they hope will spark a recovery in its failed economy.

The election will see 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a long-time Mugabe ally, face 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who is vying to become Zimbabwe’s youngest head of state.

Voting started at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and will end at 7 p.m. Polls give Mnangagwa only a slim lead over Chamisa. That makes a runoff on September 8 a possibility if no candidate wins more than half of the votes.

ZEC officials prepare a polling station ahead of Zimbabwean general election on July 29, 2018 in Harare, Zimbabwe. /VCG Photo‍

Mnangagwa has pledged to revive a moribund economy, attract foreign investment and mend racial and tribal divisions.

"People are saying, and I share their views, that something special is coming to Zimbabwe,” Mnangagwa said at his final rally in Harare’s national stadium.

"Once re-elected on Monday with a real mandate for change and a full five-year term, I guarantee you it’s ‘Go and Go’ in our country. My commitment is to bring concrete change that will give comfort to all Zimbabweans.”

Children look through a window above election posters of Zimbabwe's ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa ahead of general elections, in Mbare township outside the capital Harare, Zimbabwe, July 29, 2018. /VCG Photo

Chamisa, a charismatic speaker who honed his craft in the courtroom and the pulpit, is winning over young and unemployed voters who are frustrated with nearly four decades of Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) rule.

“The momentum is huge. Victory is certain. There is nothing that can stop the people of Zimbabwe claiming their victory,” Chamisa told reporters on Sunday.

"We are pulling out all the stops. We are leaving no stone unturned ... to make sure we win this election.”

In a surprise intervention on Sunday, Mugabe said he would vote for the opposition, turning on his one-time allies.

Mnangagwa later accused Mugabe of striking a deal with Chamisa, but provided no evidence.

"The choice is clear, you either vote for Mugabe under the guise of Chamisa or you vote for a new Zimbabwe under my leadership and ZANU-PF,” Mnangagwa said in a video on his official Facebook page.

Source(s): Reuters