HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabweans voted on Monday in the first election since the removal of former president Robert Mugabe , a watershed moment they hope will rid the country of its pariah status and spark a recovery in its failed economy.

The election pits 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a long-time Mugabe ally, against 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor vying to become Zimbabwes youngest head of state.