Zimbabwe will hold elections by July, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

During a session at the World Economic Forum, Mnangagwa was asked whether elections would take place by a reported September deadline.

He replied: "I don't know who gave you the month of September, in my own view, we want to consolidate and deepen constitutionalism in Zimbabwe. And in terms of our current Constitution every five years we are required to submit ourselves to seek a new mandate."

He said the five-year term ends in July, but that the constitution allows for elections to be held up to six months before the last date in July.

Mnangagwa said that he was likely to sign a proclamation for elections by mid-February, so: "I believe that elections will not be in July, but they will be earlier than July".

Mnangagwa took over as Zimbabwe head of state after the ousting of long-time Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in November.

The 93-year-old Mugabe, who had been at the helm for 37 years, resigned under pressure from his Zanu-PF party, the army and the public.