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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau
Zimbabwe, under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, is poised for greater heights, as the newly-elected leader has proved to be a man of action and a servant of the people.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) declared the Zanu-PF presidential candidate in the just-ended 2018 harmonised elections, Cde Mnangagwa, duly elected yesterday morning.

He garnered 2 460 463 votes, beating his main rival Mr Nelson Chamisa of MDC-Alliance who amassed 2 147 436 votes.

The result means President Mnangagwa won 50,8 percent of the total vote, while Mr Chamisa had 44,3 percent.

The result satisfied the Constitutional requirement of 50 percent plus one vote for him to avoid a presidential run-off.

In separate interviews, businesspeople, political leaders and academics in the Midlands province said a new era, a new begin was upon Zimbabwe in the rightful hands of President Mnangagwa and his administration.

Zanu-PF Midlands province chairperson Engineer Daniel Mackenzie Ncube said the country was now poised for great times.

“We are grateful to the people of Zimbabwe for voting for President Mnangagwa because under him, the country is now poised for great times,” he said.

“President Mnangagwa also led the party to two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, which is very commendable and we see ourselves in a new prosperous trajectory.”

Prominent businessman Dr Tinashe Manzungu of TM Group of companies, which is into property development, health and ICT said he was confident that the economy was poised for growth since President Mnangagwa had already bagged in investment opportunities worth over $20 billion since November last year.

“President Mnangagwa has been round the globe inviting the world to Zimbabwe,” he said.

“This has happened and everyone has witnessed this $20 billion worth of investment in foreign direct investments that were promised in less than seven months.

“The long-awaited elections by investors were held in a free and fair atmosphere. So we now expect the materialisation of investments from now.

“All patriotic Zimbabweans should just assist President Mnangagwa by working and being ready to receive visitors.

“My only appeal to the new Government is to be swift to complete the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport expansion so that we will be equal to the task on receiving our long awaited visitors. All bottlenecks in Government offices should come to an end.

“Congratulations to the President of the Second Republic of Zimbabwe, we await to see him steering us to Canaan, as this is certain.”

Mr Francis Mhere, a senior lecturer in the Economics Department at the Midlands State University (MSU), said he was confident that signed deals will come to fruition.

“The direction the economy now takes largely depends on the calibre of people appointed to Cabinet,” he said.

“So we wait to see what the President has in store for us. On the other hand, ZEC may need to be convincing to both locals and the international community that the election was free and fair.”

Mr Clement Mukwasi, public relations manager of Victoria Falls-based tourism company, Shearwater Adventures, said he was confident President Mnangagwa was going to work on reintegrating the country into the international community after years of isolation during the reign of former president Mr Robert                                      Mugabe.

“We are now expecting more tourist arrivals, meaning foreign currency for the country and more socio-economic development,” he said.