Mugabe Re-Election May Lead to Takeovers of Foreign Banks, Businesses

Inner Circle sees a mandate

Zimbabweans returned to work today in this subdued and overcast capitol city as the row over Robert Mugabe's big win in last week's elections continued to simmer – and amid assertions by some in Mr. Mugabe's inner-circle that the elections are a mandate to take over foreign-owned banks and businesses.

Mr. Mugabe was returned to power for his seventh term with 61 percent of the vote, while his Zanu PF party won two thirds of parliamentary seats.

Their rivals, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), have called for a rematch, claiming the vote was rigged to deny as many as one million people of the chance to participate, and claimed that others were intimidated into backing Zanu PF.