President Mnangagwa's re-election shows that Zimbabweans are committed to building a democratic nation and that there is renewed confidence in what the incumbent leader is doing to advance the country's development, ruling ZANU-PF party spokesman Chris Mutsvangwa said on Sunday after the election results were announced.
"It's good that there is a new confidence which is beginning to be instilled among Zimbabweans by what the president has been doing, and that is reflected in the increased voter margin which we had this time from the previous one," he said during a press briefing.
The turnout was 68.9%, with over 4.5 million people participating.
On Sunday, Mnangagwa thanked Zimbabweans for their peaceful conduct during the election and for the trust they've placed in him and his party. He urged people to work together "for the progress and prosperity of Zimbabwe," stressing that the nation's strength lies in its unity and stability.
"I am deeply humbled by the overwhelming support and joy shared by our people. This victory is a testament to the power of unity and progress. Together, we will continue building a brighter future for Zimbabwe. Thank you for your unwavering faith," the Zimbabwean leader said.
Following the announcement of the results, opposition leader Chamisa called the country's election "a blatant and gigantic fraud." The opposition therefore rejected the results of the vote, which some international observers said fell short of democratic standards.
At the same time, Chamisa thanked his supporters and congratulated them on "the great achievement, against all odds."
"We hail the main opposition advocate Nelson Chamisa for a good show. He didn't make it, but it was a good show, it shows that Zimbabweans are democratic," the ZANU-PF party spokesman told media, adding: "You don't go into a match with the idea that of I don't win then the match was not fair."
The ZANU-PF spokesman also responded to the international criticism from the European Union and the US, elaborating that their involvement in the internal affairs of African nations "goes back to the precolonial period, where they would always want to go overboard."
Mutsvangwa also hailed India's report on the election, noting that the country's observers "are fair, mature and responsible."
Mnangagwa, a former minister of state security and speaker of parliament, led the country after longtime president Robert Mugabe was ousted in 2017. Chamisa, a lawyer who served as minister of information and communications technology, has led the main opposition party, the CCC, since its formation in January 2022.
This is the second time Mnangagwa and Chamisa have faced off. The politicians competed in the 2018 presidential election, which the Zanu-PF leader won with 51.4% of the vote against Chamisa's 45%.