PRESIDENT-designate and Zanu-PF First Secretary Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa will today be sworn-in as the country’s Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces with several Sadc leaders expected to witness the occasion. The event will be held at the giant National Sports Stadium in Harare.
Thousands of people are expected to witness the inauguration of Zimbabwe’s third President but the second executive one since independence in 1980. Cde Mnangagwa takes over from President Mugabe who resigned on Tuesday. Government yesterday availed 125 buses to carry people in all the 10 provinces to the giant stadium as it urged employers to give employees an opportunity to attend the inauguration.
“In view of tomorrow’s inauguration of the President-elect
Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, Government is urging employers to afford their
employees an opportunity to attend the ceremony which is expected to conclude
any time after 1 0’clock,” Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information,
Media and Broadcasting Services Mr George Charamba said yester- day.
National Assembly Speaker Advocate Jacob Mudenda said
invitations were open to everyone including the opposition as Zimbabwe opens a
new chapter engendering the spirit of togetherness.
“The ceremony is on tomorrow at the National Sports
Stadium,” Advocate Mudenda said.
Foreign Affairs secretary Ambassador Joey Bimha yesterday
said some countries would be represented at Head of State and/or Government
level while others would have high-level representatives.
“We sent the invitations yesterday (Wednesday) and we
expect to receive confirmations today. As of now, Presidents Jacob Zuma (South
Africa), Edgar Lungu (Zambia), Ian Khama (Botswana) have confirmed they will be
coming. Namibia will send their Vice President (Nickey Iyambo) while the
Democratic Republic of Congo will send a special representative. Sadc Executive
Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax has also confirmed she will be coming and
the Speaker of Parliament of South Africa (Baleka Mbete) will also be coming,”
he said.
Ambassador Bimha added: “We invited all the Sadc countries
and other leaders for the event and the list will obviously grow overnight and
we will get to know the other Heads of State or representatives coming.”
Britain’s Africa Minister Rory Stewart arrived yesterday.
Most of the leaders are expected to arrive in Harare this morning. Minister of
State for Harare Provincial Affairs Mirriam Chikukwa said Government had
availed 125 buses to the provinces.
“Gates will be opened by 6:30am and proceedings will start
around 9am,” she said.
“We know people would want to go and buses have been
provided by Government. We have 30 buses for the host province Harare and we
are going to have 15 buses in Midlands where the President-designate comes
from. The remaining provinces will have 10 buses each. We are encouraging those
with transport to assist Government also.”
Minister Chikukwa called for unity and peace.
“My appeal to Zimbabweans is that let us come and enjoy but
let us not be overzealous. We must continue to be disciplined. The
President-designate is disciplined himself and we have to emulate that. Let us
remain calm and do what we are supposed to do within the confines of the law,”
she said.
Cde Mnangagwa succeeds President Mugabe, who resigned after
being recalled as Zanu-PF First Secretary and President by the revolutionary
party’s Central Committee last Sunday
The resignation was preceded by an intervention by the
Zimbabwe Defence Forces who stepped in to weed out criminals who had surruonded
the President culminating in his recall by Zanu-PF. herald
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