Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa remove an election banner with the face of Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 1, 2018. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa took a strong lead in the counting of votes on Thursday from this week’s presidential election, according to the official results.

With nine out of 10 provinces declared, Mnangagwa had 2.15 million votes against 1.93 million for opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.