Video journalist Taurai Maduna has been filming the queues at a polling station in Highfield, a densely populated part of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.

You can see the long queues there as people wait patiently to cast their ballots in the country's first election since the ousting of President Robert Mugabe:

The opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa says he’s confident of victory in today’s election. He told BBC Africa editor Fergal Keane that "it’s a done deal" - if the election is free and fair.

Reporters and cameramen are seen here swarming around presidential challenger Nelson Chamisa after he cast his vote on the outskirts of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.

“The people are voting.. for freedom, democracy and a new Zimbabwe”, he said.

Our colleague Piers Scholfield tweeted this picture of the opposition MDC alliance leader minutes ago.

Kenyan cartoonist Victor Ndula has this take on former President Robert Mugabe's continued interest in the election:

"It's not over till the fat lady sings", cautions the caption. A cartoon likeness of former First Lady Grace Mugabe straddles a cello in the shape of Mr Mugabe's face. Around them, pages of sheet music flutter and fall from a music stand.

It's a not-so subtle reference to Mrs Mugabe's presidential ambitions, something she hasn't denied in the past. She said at a 2014 rally: "They say I want to be president. Why not? Am I not a Zimbabwean?" She had also been accused by other politicians of exerting undue influence on her husband while he was in power.

As part of the voting process, people get a finger nail marked with indelible ink to make sure they don't vote more than once.

And Zimbabweans are posting pictures of their inked finger and sharing stories about the process:

Nelson Chamisa, who's seen as the main challenger to incumbent Zimbabwean President Emerson Mnangagwa, is voting on the outskirts of the capital, Harare.

A BBC reporter has been waiting for him there and has tweeted pictures of the scrum of journalists and observers around the polling station:

There are 23 presidential candidates in all.

We've had reports of queues of voters in and near the capital, Harare, but we're also seeing pictures of queues in other parts of the country.

A news anchor for South Africa's national broadcaster is posting pictures from Kwekwe, which is about three hours' drive south-west of Harare.

And a voter in the country's second city, Bulawayo, has tweeted pictures of the queue at a polling station there:

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa, one of 23 candidates on the presidential ballot, has tweeted a message of peace as the country goes to the polls.

Previous elections have been marred by violence and intimidation, but the government is keen to show the world that the first post-Mugabe poll will be different.

Mr Mnangagwa has called for tolerance saying: "We will sink or swim together."

One of our reporters has travelled to a rural area an hour's drive north of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.

Despite more than 40% of the voters being under the age of 35, she has seen mostly older voters so far.

One told her that her vote was about her grandchildren:

Zimbabweans have three votes today - for president, member of parliament and local councillor.

After marking the papers in the cardboard booths, voters then put the ballots in the three boxes:

• Blue for president
• Peach for MP
• Yellow for local councillor.

One observer has tweeted this picture:

Liberia's former President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is one of the many international observers at watching the polls in Zimbabwe.

She's been talking to the BBC Newsday's Julian Keane at the David Livingstone Primary School in the capital, Harare.

Listen to more of what she had to say:

Image source, Reuters

Zimbabweans are now voting in presidential, parliamentary and local elections.

There are dozens of candidates and millions of registered voters.

Here are some of the key figures:

• 23 candidates are on the presidential ballot
• 55 parties are contesting the parliamentary vote
• 5,635,706 people have re-registered to a new voters’ roll, which the MDC says is inaccurate and holds names of people who have died or are underage
• 43.5% of registered voters are under 35
• 10,985 polling stations
• 16 years since EU and US observers were allowed to monitor elections.

One of our reporters in Zimbabwe has travelled a little way outside the capital, Harare, to speak to voters there:

As part of the voting process, people get their finger marked with indelible ink:

Polls opened just over an hour ago in Zimbabwe's landmark elections where people are voting for a president, members of parliament, and local councillors.

It's the first vote since Robert Mugabe - in power since 1980 - was forced from office last November.

People started queuing before polls opened at 05:00 GMT and news agencies have started filing pictures from the capital, Harare.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Andrew Harding
BBC News, Harare

Image source, Reuters

A long quiet queue formed before dawn at this polling station here in the capital, Harare, for an election fuelled by hope, and clouded by suspicion.

Many Zimbabweans believe that, with Robert Mugabe finally out of the picture, their impoverished nation has an opportunity to emerge from years of violence and economic chaos.

Opinion polls suggest a tight race between the governing Zanu-PF and an opposition alliance.

Zanu-PF insists that, now under new management, it is best placed to bring stability and foreign investment.

But the MDC Alliance suspects the vote may be rigged, as it has been before here.

It’s hoping a surge of support from younger Zimbabweans can overwhelm any challenges, and remove the party that has led this country for almost four decades.

Our African proverb of the day:

Image source, Getty Images

Click here and scroll to the bottom to send us your African proverbs.

Welcome to BBC Africa Live where we'll be keeping you up-to-date with developments in Zimbabwe as the country votes in the first election of the post-Mugabe era.