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GUESTS: Bill Fletcher, executive editor of The Black Commentator, former President and chief executive officer of TransAfrica Forum, Patrick Bond, Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and author of “Uneven Zimbabwe,” and “Zimbabwe’s Plunge”

Robert Mugabe was sworn in as president of Zimbabwe for a sixth term yesterday following a violence-tainted and controversial run-off election. His main rival, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change pulled out of the race just six days prior to last Friday’s vote citing state-sponsored violence and intimidation against his supporters. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission released the official results of the run-off yesterday, which showed Mugabe taking roughly 85% of the vote in an election that netted a turn out of just 42%. African Union observers cited violence and unequal media access. They assessed the election as short of the organization’s free and fair standards. Indeed Mugabe has come under intense international criticism, provoking a push by the US to sponsor UN sanctions. Criticism also emerged from the Southern African Development Community which defined last weekend’s vote as non representative of the will of the people. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, called on African leaders to tell Mr Mugabe that “you are unwelcome any longer, you are illegitimate, and we will not recognize your administration in any shape or form”.