Share

China urges Zimbabweans to 'respect' vote result

China on Friday urged all sides in Zimbabwe to respect the result of the presidential election which was won by a long-time Beijing ally but contested as "fake" by the opposition.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took power after veteran leader Robert Mugabe was ousted late last year, was declared the winner on Friday with 50.8% of the vote.

The narrow margin is just enough to avoid a run-off against opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, who dismissed what he called the election's "unverified fake results".

Opposition allegations of foul play had already sparked a deadly crackdown on protesters in the capital Harare on Wednesday when troops opened fire, killing six.

"As a friendly nation to Zimbabwe, we call upon relevant parties to put the interest of the country and the people first and respect the choice made by the Zimbabwean people," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing.

"We hope the international community will join us to make contributions to upholding the peace and development of Zimbabwe," Geng said.

Mnangagwa was chosen as Mugabe's successor in the ruling Zanu-PF party after he was removed in a brief military intervention in November.

President Xi Jinping hailed Mnangagwa, who received military training in China when he was a young liberation fighter in the 1960s, as an "old friend" of the Asian powerhouse when he visited Beijing in April.

Beijing had long been one of Mugabe's most powerful allies and a major trade partner, as the West shunned him over his government's human rights violations, but it avoided publicly taking sides during his ousting.

FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 567 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 808 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.88
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.85
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.38
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE