WorldHARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabweans voted on Monday in the first election since the removal of former president Robert Mugabe, a watershed moment they hope will rid the country of its pariah status and spark a recovery in its failed economy. The election pits 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a long-time Mugabe ally, against 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor vying to become Zimbabwe’s youngest head of state. On the eve of the election, Mugabe emerged from eight months of obscurity since the military ousted him in a bloodless coup, to announce he would vote for the opposition, surprising former ally Mnangagwa who accused him of striking a deal with Chamisa. Voting started at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and will end at 7 p.m.Opinion polls give former intelligence chief Mnangagwa, who took over as president after the army ousted Mugabe, only a slim lead over Chamisa.

Source: Sunday Times July 30, 2018 06:56 UTC