Emmerson Mnangagwa Ends 37-Year Leadership of Robert Mugabe

Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in as the President of Zimbabwe on Friday, December 3, in a formal ceremony in Harare, the capital, attended by thousands, marking the end of Robert Mugabe's 37-year leadership. According to Reuters, Mnangagwa promised to defend the rights of 16 million Zimbabwean citizens and called for the creation of conditions necessary for economic growth. He added that Zimbabwe is a safe country for foreign investments and that presidential elections will be held next year. CNN reported that Mnangagwa also praised Robert Mugabe's role in Zimbabwe's independence war, stating that Mugabe had been like a 'father' to him. The new leader of Zimbabwe was the Vice President of Robert Mugabe until about a month ago, but Mugabe dismissed him and replaced him with his wife. After his dismissal, Mnangagwa left the country. Mnangagwa has previously served as the head of Zimbabwe's security forces, Minister of Justice, and Defense, and had been considered a trusted ally of Robert Mugabe for decades. The 75-year-old Mnangagwa is particularly accused of playing a key role in the massacre of '20,000' opposition members in 1983. The new president denies these accusations and has spoken of democracy, engagement, and respect for the law in the past two weeks. Robert Mugabe, 93, was not present at Friday's ceremony, and officials from the ruling party have stated that he will be 'safe' in Zimbabwe and that his legacy as a hero of the independence struggle will be preserved. Mugabe finally stepped down from power on Tuesday after 37 years of ruling Zimbabwe, following pressure from the country's armed forces and concerns about impeachment in Parliament. He has been the only leader of Zimbabwe since its independence from Britain in 1980.