Emmerson Mnangagwa, the new president of Zimbabwe, hailed Brexit as an opportunity to forge closer links with the UK on Thursday, as he called for the country to rejoin the Commonwealth.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Mr Mnangagwa - who replaced Robert Mugabe after a de facto military coup in November, said Britain's departure was a "good thing" as "what they’ve lost with Brexit they can come and recover from Zimbabwe."

“When we have engagement, they [Britain] want to raise the issue about us joining the Commonwealth. I said I’ll be happy to deal with that . . . I personally have nothing against the Commonwealth club," he added.

The suggestion marks a clear departure from the policies of Mr Mugabe, who dramatically quit the Commonwealth in 2003 after being ordered to restore democracy and the rule of law by other members.

In the same interview, Mr Mnangagwa also sought to cut ties with the country's turbulent past as he invited the EU, the Commonwealth and the UN to monitor this year's elections.