Mnangagwa urges Zimbabweans to work together to develop the country

President Emmerson Mnangagwa who was sworn in today, almost a month after winning the elections, today called on all political parties that contested the elections, especially those represented in Parliament, to commit themselves to collectively develop the country.

Mnangagwa said at his inauguration: “We are all Zimbabweans; what unites us is greater than what could ever divide us.”

Mnangagwa was declared winner of the 30 July elections on 3 August but his main rival Nelson Chamisa of the Movement for Democratic Change rejected the result and went to court but his case was dismissed on Friday.

Chamisa, however, insists that he does not accept the Constitutional Court judgment and says he will challenge it with the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights.

Mnangagwa told people at his inauguration today that: “Now that elections are behind us, we must now focus on addressing the economic challenges facing our country.

“To realise our vision and leapfrog our industrialisation and modernisation agenda, we will foster policies that attract both domestic and global capital.

“We will soon be reviewing the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements, to promote and encourage investments from across the world.

“Efforts will also be taken to expedite and bring to finality the resolution of the country’s external debt arrears, under the LIMA Plan.”

Zimbabwe has not been able to access international credit for the past 19 years and now needs to clear its arrears with the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

It cleared its debt with the International Monetary Fund.

The clearing of this debt will open doors for international finance and enable the country to meet its goal of becoming a middle income country by 2030.

Below is Mnangagwa’s full inauguration speech:

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