Zimbabwe's new president Emmerson Mnangagwa is reportedly facing an internal revolt "after it emerged his calls for polls to go ahead as early as August could be resisted by his own Zanu-PF MPs".

According to The Standard, Zanu-PF legislatures wanted the forthcoming elections postponed by at least three years as the party was "locked in chaos" after a vicious succession battle within the party.

The lawmakers were also scared that their seats could be given to the military as a reward for getting Mnangagwa to state house, the report said.

Unnamed sources were quoted as saying that Mnangagwa was desperate to have the polls this year in order to legitimise his rule. Mnangagwa announced last week that elections would be held in four to five months. He also invited international observers to Zimbabwe for the vote.

"We want fair, free, credible elections," he told British business newspaper the Financial Times in an interview published on Thursday. "I would want that the United Nations should come, the EU should come... If the Commonwealth were requesting to come, I am disposed to consider their application," he said.

Mnangagwa took office in November after a shock military takeover ended former president Robert Mugabe's 37-year reign.