Zimbabwe: Mr. Mnangagwa sworn in as president

On November 24, Mr. Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in as President of Zimbabwe in front of the country's Minister of Justice, foreign diplomatic representatives and tens of thousands of supporters. This event marked the end of President Robert Mugabe's 37 years in power.

Mr. Emmerson Mnangagwa (left) was sworn in as President. (Source: AFP)

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony held at the national stadium on the outskirts of the capital Harare, Mr. Mnangagwa pledged allegiance to Zimbabwe, and to abide by, preserve and protect the Constitution and laws of Zimbabwe.

Mr Mnangagwa will serve out the remainder of Mr Mugabe's term until presidential elections, expected to be held in 2018.

Mr. Mnangagwa, 75 years old, is a veteran politician and has held many important positions in the Zimbabwean cabinet. During the period 1980-2000, he was appointed as Minister of National Security, Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of Finance, before serving as Speaker of the Zimbabwean House of Representatives for the term 2000-2005. From 2005 to October 2017, he held the positions of Minister of Housing and Rural Amenities, Minister of Defense and Minister of Justice. He served as Vice President of Zimbabwe from 2014 until he was dismissed by President Mugabe on November 6.

Mr Mugabe's decision to remove Mr Mnangagwa from office was met with strong opposition from Army Commander Constantino Chiwenga and sparked a political crisis in the African country.

On the night of November 14, the country's military staged a mutiny and took control of the country. Under pressure from the Zimbabwean military and many leaders of the ruling ZANU-PF party, President Mugabe agreed to resign on November 21, shortly after the Zimbabwean Parliament began impeachment proceedings against him.

According to Vietnam+