President Emmerson Mnangagwa survived a bomb attack at a rally in Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo.

The president said that the blast went off just meters from him.

CGTN’s Farai Mwakutuya has more from Harare.

An explosion went off near the VIP podium as President Emmerson Mnangagwa was leaving the stage at the end of a campaign rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo.

He was unhurt but some senior ZANU PF officials including one of the vice presidents, Kembo Mohadi, and party chairperson, Oppah Muchinguri, sustained injuries and were receiving treatment at a hospital.

Investigations into the motives of the attack began as President Mnangagwa, in an interview with the state broadcaster, called it an attempt on his life.

Mnangagwa, who has been in power since ousting his former mentor, Robert Mugabe last November, has been the target of multiple alleged assassinations in the past.

In 2014, his office was broken into and his desk laced with cyanide and in 2017 he was the victim of food poisoning while attending a Mugabe rally.

Mnangagwa is campaigning to hold onto the presidency in elections that will take place on July 30th. He has repeatedly called for peace ahead of the crucial polls.