What’s next for Zim after Mnangagwa wins controversial presidential elections

Zwnews Chief Correspondent

Should Zimbabweans brace themselves for continued economic decline as Emmerson Mnangagwa continues his role as Top Boss in Town following shambled harmonised elections?

The Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe declared Mnangagwa the winner after MDC-Alliance president Nelson Chamisa had challenged the results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), alleging that the election management body doctored the votes in favour of Mnangagwa.

In his judgment, Chief Justice Luke Malaba said the court dismissed Chamisa’s case with all the costs as he failed to provide the primary evidence needed. Based on technicalities, Malaba said ZEC’s admission of guilt was not enough evidence.

The judgment seems to have spelled doom for Zimbabwe after some investors  reportedly expressed concern about the electoral process judging by the way ZEC handled the whole election, an analyst has said.

Political analyst Elder Mabhunu says the major problem with the foreign investors, since the coming in of President Mnangagwa to the helm last November was that of legitimacy.

“Since coming in, Mnangagwa has been preaching ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ however, that mantra had been taken with a pinch of salt by many investors who were yet to be convinced that he was better than former president Robert Mugabe.

“Investors have always been known to work with legitimately elected governments who respect property, human rights, and who don’t entertain corruption,” he says.

Mabhunu maintains that since coming to the helm Mnangagwa has proven that he can not deal with the rampant corruption one of the key barometers used by investors in the assessment of

ideal business destinations.

He says whilst some are of the notion that Mnangagwa despite the contested win, amid flawed electoral process should be given all the support in order to turn around the country’s fortunes, however, it remains to be seen if he would walk the talk this time around.

Meanwhile, the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiCZ) has added its voice after the ruling; it says the legitimacy problem have not been solved, after the court failed the objectivity test. CiCZ says Zimbabwe’s crisis has been deepened by the fact that ZANU PF has captured state institutions that should support democracy, including the judiciary.

“The ruling has come with negative consequences, on the country’s re-engagement process and the economy will plummet downwards,” says Thabani Moyo, CiCZ spokesperson. He says it is worrying that Mnangagwa has already started souring the Zimbabwe’s relationship with the strategic members of the international community as a result of his defiance of the global human rights order inclinations.