Mnangagwa will not revenge assassination attempt

Vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, says he won't try to take revenge on those who tried to assassinate him, state radio station ZBC reported on Saturday.

Mnangagwa, who was sworn in as the first vice president on Friday following the sacking of his predecessor Joice Mujuru, will not "waste time" seeking revenge, ZBC reported.

The government of long-time president Robert Mugabe claims Mnangagwa, 68, was the target of a failed assassination bid when a poisonous substance was sprinkled in his office in Harare.

The vice president, whose appointment now puts him in a very strong position to succeed Mugabe, said his focus is now "to unite people to take the country forward", ZBC reported.

Three people are now known to have been affected by the poison: Mnangagwa's secretary, who has been named as Catherine Magaya, a driver and a member of the Central Intelligence Organisation.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was in 2002 accused of trying to assassinate Mugabe but was later cleared of the charge.