Following their report that former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa will be sworn in as vice president in the coming days, Reuters now says he will serve until 2018.

The chief whip of ruling party Zanu-PF, Lovemore Matuke, told the news agency that Mr Mnangagwa would serve the remainder of Mugabe’s term.

Under the current schedule, the next general elections could be held as late as September 2018.