Mnangagwa to be sworn in as president on Sunday

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa will be sworn in on Sunday after the constitutional court on Friday confirmed his victory in a July 30 election, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said.

Mnangagwa has quickly called for peace and said the opposition failed to present “sufficient and credible” evidence to back its claims of a rigged vote.

Mnangagwa in a series of tweets says to opposition challenger Nelson Chamisa “my door is open and my arms are outstretched” as he calls for the country to move forward together.

Streets are quiet in the capital, Harare, an opposition stronghold, after the court ruling. Security was tight. Zimbabwe’s constitutional court has upheld Mnangagwa’s narrow victory in last month’s historic election after the opposition alleged vote-rigging.

The unanimous decision that the opposition failed to produce “sufficient and credible evidence” means the inauguration will be held within 48 hours as Zimbabwe moves into a new era after Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule.

Security was tight in the capital, Harare, ahead of the court’s ruling amid concerns about possible unrest.

The July 30 vote was peaceful but scenes of the military sweeping into the capital two days later to disperse opposition protesters led to fears that Mnangagwa’s government was stuck in the past despite declarations of reforms.

The 75-year-old Mnangagwa, a former enforcer for Mugabe, took power after Mugabe stepped down in November under military pressure. Associated Press