Zimbabwe has just held historic elections, the first without Robert Mugabe since independence in 1980, and incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa has been declared the winner. The opposition led by Nelson Chamisa has disputed the poll. Cheryl Hendricks writes that the outcome needed to be credible because the country needs a legitimate government, with a strong mandate, to rebuild its shattered economy.

In many African countries, term limits have been introduced to curtail the concentration of power in the hands of lifetime rulers. Togo, where the Gnassingbé family has ruled for nearly half a century, is a case in point. Anja Osei writes that the West African country’s situation illustrates the challenges of trying to introduce constitutional reform.

Meanwhile, in Ethiopia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has already shown that he’s a different breed of politician. He’s admitted to past errors committed by his party, and he’s reached out to former foes in a bid to mend fences. Mohammed Girma welcomes Abiy’s use of reconciliation rather than a show of force, but warns that the new prime minister needs to make sure he also delivers justice.

And in Asia, Imran Khan is Pakistan’s new prime minister. The world famous cricketer who captained Pakistan’s cricket team in its glory days in the 1980s and early 1990s has slowly been building his power base and now his efforts have paid off. Parveen Akhtar profiles the Oxford-educated politician who is Pakistan’s new leader.