At least 49 injured at Zimbabwe rally

Blast took place seconds after president spoke to the crowd

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared on Saturday an explosion targeting at him “cowardly act” that would not derail the country’s first election since former president Robert Mugabe stepped down.

The blast, which took place at a political campaign rally, injured at least 49 people, including Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, his wife Constantino Chiwenga, the environment minister and the deputy speaker of parliament, Reuters quoted Zimbabwe police as saying on Sunday.

Health Minister David Parirenyatwa said late on Saturday that there were no fatalities although some of the injured required “serious surgery”. Several security personnel were also hurt, the Herald newspaper said.

The blast happened seconds after Mnangagwa addressed a stadium crowd in Bulawayo city and stepped into a VIP tent just off the stage, sending up smoke into the sky. People screamed and immediately ran away for cover.

The blast came as the southern African country prepared to hold its first post-Mugabe presidential election on July 30, with 75-year-old Mnangagwa and 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, the main contenders.

The explosion was just a “few inches away from me, but it is not my time”, the president told state broadcaster ZBC.

The explosion is under investigation. Authorities gave no details of what had caused the blast and there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

George Charamba, the presidential spokesman, ruled out a state of emergency. He told the Sunday Mail newspaper that the historic July 30 election will go ahead as planned despite the blast.

Mnangagwa said on Saturday he was “used to these attempts” on his life, noting that he had been poisoned at a rally outside Bulawayo last August when he was Mugabe’s vice-president.

The Associated Press reported that Mnangagwa appealed his country for unity Saturday evening.

“The campaign has been conducted in a free and peaceful environment, and we will not allow this cowardly act to get in our way as we move towards elections,” he said.

‘Unacceptable’

Chamisa, the opposition leader, said on Twitter: “Our prayers go out to the injured and we hope no lives have been lost. Violence must have no place in our politics. “

He extended sympathy to the victims and said no stone should be left unturned in the police investigation.

The United States and Britain were among the countries that condemned the attack. The US embassy said on Twitter that “political violence in any form is unacceptable” and contrary to the progress needed to move Zimbabwe forward and “take its place on the global stage”.

Egypt also strongly condemned the attack and expressed Egypt’s solidarity “with the Zimbabwean government and people to achieve security and stability in the country”.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta termed the attack as an affront on democracy by illadvised elements out to subvert the free will of the peace loving people of the south Africa nation.

“As I condemn the attack unreservedly, I also call against the use of violence as a tool for intimidating citizens from exercising their political choices,” Kenyatta said.

Xinhua, AP and Reuters contributed to this story.