HARARE – Western embassies boycotted Heroes Day commemorations in Harare on Monday as the fallout over President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s blood-tainted Presidential Election win continues.

Mnangagwa was due to be sworn-in August 12 after his declared narrow victory over MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, but the opposition challenger has gone to court to overturn the result.

Mnangagwa spoke at the commemorations at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, and the absence of ambassadors from western countries – whose generous bailouts Zimbabwe needs to get out of a deepening economic crisis – would not have gone unnoticed.

International opinion on Mnangagwa’s government has firmed negatively after soldiers killed at least seven people during opposition protests in Harare on August 1, two days after voting. The protesters were demanding the prompt release of Presidential Election results being withheld by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

A crackdown on opposition leaders and supporters by security forces in the wake of the August 3 election results giving Mnangagwa a narrow 50.8 percent outright win has been heavily criticised by the Western embassies, led by the United States which has since renewed sanctions on Zimbabwe’s political leaders.

An official at the United States embassy in Harare, asked why the ambassador had not attended Heroes Day commemorations per diplomatic practice on national events, said it was “in keeping with most Western embassies”. He would not discuss the reasons for the diplomats’ boycott.

He, however, pointed out that a junior official would attend Tuesday’s Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day event at the National Sports Stadium.

Isolated … Emmerson Mnangagwa laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at the Heroes Acre on Monday

Chamisa had described Mnangagwa’s win as declared by the electoral commission as “scandalous”. He says in court papers that he won the election but was cheated by ZEC, who inflated Mnangagwa’s numbers and undercounted his. He is asking the Constitutional Court to declare him the winner.