Zimbabwe’s next leader prepares to take power

HARARE: Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa was preparing on Thursday for his new role as president after a triumphant return home following the dramatic departure of Robert Mugabe. Mnangagwa, who has close ties to the army and the security establishment, returned to Zimbabwe on Wednesday where he received a hero’s welcome, telling crowds of supporters in Harare they were witnessing the start of a new democratic era. The 75-year-old will be sworn in as president at an inauguration ceremony on Friday. It was his first public speech since Mugabe fired him as vice president on November 6 over a succession tussle with the first lady in a move which prompted the military’s intervention and eventually led to Mugabe’s resignation on Tuesday. “Today we are witnessing the beginning of a new and unfolding full democracy in our country,” he told hundreds of supporters, some wearing shirts emblazoned with his image.