Zanu PF presidential candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday cast his ballot as he hopes his party will retain its hold on power in the face of the challenge from the rival MDC Alliance.

Mnangagwa is registered at a polling station near his Sherwood Farm in Kwekwe, a city about 210km south-west of the capital Harare. He cast his ballot at Sherwood Primary School at around 11am.

Mnangagwa expressed confidence of winning the election, adding that electorate was enjoying their democratic space and that the election was free and fair.

He said he was committed to a Zimbabwe where the people have “freedom to express their views, negative or positive”.

In Harare, opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa cast his ballot at Kuwadzana 2 Primary School at around 9:30am, where he arrived to a rousing support by his candidates, who sang and chanted party songs and slogans.

The youthful opposition leader said victory was certain.

At Mhofu Primary School in Old Highfield, former President Robert Mugabe arrived in the company of his wife Grace and daughter Bona Mugabe-Chikore, to scores of his supporters that were waiting for him.

With his security trimmed, he was supported from his Mercedes-Benz S600 stretch limousine to the polling booth by Grace, on his left, and Bona, on the other side.

The 94-year-old got the polling centre at around 1:05pm, got into the booth at around 1:13pm and took about eight minutes while marking the ballot papers with the assistance of Grace, before casting his ballots at 1:22pm, before being helped walk out.

A pocket of Mnangagwa’s supporters were singing intimidatory songs, with the police having a hard time controlling the crowd.

Mugabe did not address the media.

Voting is still going on smoothly in several parts of the country, but there have been reports of incidents where voters have been turned away because their names are not on the voters’ roll.

Polling officers at most centres visited by African News Agency (ANA) were using a voters’ roll with pictures on it.

In Chegutu, about 110km west of Harare, voting had to be stopped because the wrong material had been delivered there.

At David Livingstone Primary School in Harare, people started queueing as early as 3am, while in other areas, queues started forming at around 5am.