Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Zimbabwean president, said he narrowly survived an attempt on his life on Saturday after a explosion at a party rally that injured two of his vice-presidents and several party officials.
He described to state media how an object "exploded a few inches away from me – but it is not my time".
Video footage showed plumes of smoke surrounding the president as he was hustled away from the scene, down stairs from the podium at White City stadium in Bulawayo, the country’s second city and an opposition stronghold.
Fifteen people were hurt, three of them seriously, according to David Parirenyatwa, the health minister.
Mr Mnangagwa later said he had visited some of the injured in hospital and pleaded for unity ahead of elections next month.
Reuters
"The campaign so far has been conducted in a free and peaceful environment, and we will not allow this cowardly act to get in our way as we move towards elections," Mr Mnangagwa said in a Facebook post.
George Charamba, a government spokesman, said investigations were under way and that there have been “multiple attempts” on Mr Mnangagwa’s life over the years.
He took power in November when Robert Mugabe stepped down after 37 years in office under intense pressure from the army.
Explosion at White City Stadium in Bulawayo where President Mnangagwa was addressing a rally. ED evacuated. Unconfirmed reports say several people have been injured including political commissar Rugeje pic.twitter.com/vxgJxXbxLc
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There have been no claims of responsibility. Analysts suggested the culprits could come from among the armed forces – as they seek to create the condition for a security clampdown – or from elements within the ruling Zanu-PF that were sidelined with the ousting of Mr Mugabe.
Chipo Dendere, a Zimbabwean professor of political science at Amherst College in the US, said the incident would change the tone of the election campaign.
"This is going to make everyone a little bit tense… this is the first time we have seen such a blatant attack," she said blaming divisions inside the ruling Zanu-PF for the attack.
Profile | Emmerson Mnangagwa
"Whatever internal fissures existed within Zanu-PF before (the coup in) November, those fissures didn’t go away."
The United States condemned the attack.
The US Embassy said on Twitter that "political violence in any form is unacceptable" and contrary to the progress needed to move the country forward and "take its place on the global stage."
The British Embassy tweeted a similar statement.
Although Mr Mnangagwa was not hurt, state media reported that Vice-President Kembo Mohadi suffered a leg injury.