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HARARE —Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa was inaugurated Monday for his second full term after a disputed national election in which he defeated challenger Nelson Chamisa. The main opposition says Mnangagwa's re-election means another five years of economic stagnation and what they see as presidential illegitimacy.
An estimated 40,000 people saluted President Emmerson Mnangagwa as he arrived at National Sports Stadium in Harare Monday.
In his speech, Mnangagwa thanked Zimbabweans for what he called a "peaceful" and "transparent" elections.
He promised to exploit Zimbabwe's natural resources to establish a manufacturing base and turn around the economy.
"The numerous mineral resources in our country must be sustainably exploited to leap-frog our industrialization and development," Mnangagwa said. "The lives of our citizens and the fortunes of our country as a whole must be improved... Riding on our abundant resources as well as skilled and hardworking people, Zimbabwe is poised to take its place as a competitive manufacturing jurisdiction."
Mnangagwa appears to have a heavy task ahead of him, with his country suffering one of the highest inflation rates in the world, and possessing an almost worthless currency.
Unemployed 23-year-old Martin Chibeza says he had to drop out of school as his parents could not afford the fees. He wants the president to spark the economy and create jobs.
"He must re-open industries which are yet to reopen such as automotive and entrepreneurship that would be helpful for us," Chibeza said. "Some of us do not have education, so if some industries open, we will get employed, even when you did not finish school."
Back to the inauguration: That's a 21-gun salute and flyover by Zimbabwe Defense Forces forces to mark the beginning of Mnangagwa's new term.
Mnangagwa supporters such as 69-year-old Marker Mugadzi were in a celebratory mood.
"What has happened today is really great," Mugadzi said. "President Mnangagwa is our friend, we fought together the liberation struggle. I wish the government can provide water and repair roads, land and decent houses. That's my wish from Mnangagwa."
Mnangagwa took power in a 2017 coup that unseated longtime ruler Robert Mugabe, then won the disputed 2018 election.
In last month's elections, the 80-year-old politician beat 45-year-old Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change party, according to official results which the opposition is protesting.
The CCC's vice president Tendai Biti sees a gloomy future for Zimbabwe if the election results are not reversed.
"The election has been condemned by virtually every [observer] team and most significantly SADC, who have made it very clear, that it falls so short of required international standards," Biti said. "So, under those circumstances a flawed process cannot produce a flawed outcome. Therefore, we are back in the zone of 2018 where legitimacy was contested. And once legitimacy is contested, you can't govern."
Only three presidents from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) - whose observer mission said the polls were not credible - attended Mnangagwa's inauguration Monday.
The three were Filipe Nyusi from Mozambique, Felix Tshisekedi from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa.