President Lazarus Chakwera has sent Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zikhale Ng’oma to represent him at the inauguration of Emmerson Mnangagwa who was re-elected as Zimbabwe President in disputed elections last month.
Chakwera who is yet to congratulate Mnangagwa through his social media platforms, has chosen not to attend the inauguration ceremony.
“Malawi’s Minister of Homeland Security, Hon. Ken Ng’oma, arrived this morning to represent President Lazarus Chakwera at today’s inauguration of Zimbabwe’s President-Elect, Dr. @edmnangagwa,” Zimbawe’s Ministry of Information tweeted.
President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema and Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan are some of the leaders who have also skipped the inauguration. However, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to attend.
Zimbabweans voted on 23 August and Mnangagwa was declared winner with 52.6 percent of the votes.
The main opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), whose leader Nelson Chamisa came second with 44 percent of the vote, has questioned the credibility of the election saying the process was riddled with irregularities.
The party last week called for anti-election protests and demanded fresh elections.
“The only resolution and way forward… is that Zimbabwe needs a fresh and … proper election to end the current crisis,” CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Siziba told a news conference.
“We have made it very clear that the entire election in this country was flawed,” he said.
However, Mnangagwa said the vote was valid and warned there would be a crackdown on anyone spreading chaos.
“I warn anybody who may want to bring any chaos in this country we are ready,” he said during a ceremony to open a lithium plant.
“Whoever shall preach hate speech will be responsible for their hate speech, our prisons are not full.”
Mnangagwa’s inauguration is taking place today at the National Stadium in Harare.
Leaders attending include China’s Vice President Han Zheng, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, Belarus’ Deputy Prime Minister, Tanzania’s Prime Minister Cassim Majaliwa, Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, Rwanda’s Senate President François Xavier Kalinda
