By Brian Okoth
Emmerson Mnangagwa is deeply rooted in Zimbabwe’s politics.
The 80-year-old politician has been present in every decisive political moment in Zimbabwe’s history – since pre-independence days.
He was born on September 15, 1942 in the mining town of Zvishavane, south-central Zimbabwe.
His parents, Mafidhi and Mhurai Mnangagwa, were farmers, but occasionally exhibited their political side during the British colonial rule.
Mnangagwa’s father was made a chief of his village by the colonial rulers in the 1940s.
The president has nine blood siblings and eight other half-siblings after his father married a second wife.
How Mnangagwa met Mugabe
Mnangagwa is a member of the Karanga tribe, the largest sub-group of Zimbabwe’s majority Shona ethnic group.
His father was later asked to relocate to Mumbwa in central Zambia after a fallout with the British rulers.
It is here that Mnangagwa met the would-be Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. At the time, Mugabe was working at a teachers’ college in Zambia’s capital Lusaka, and stayed with Mnangagwa’s family.
The vocal and radical Mugabe inspired Mnangagwa to join the anti-British push in the early 1960s.
Several Zimbabwean anti-colonial crusaders, including Mugabe and Mnangagwa, joined forces in 1962 and formed the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU).
Shortly after ZAPU came into existence, Mnangagwa was among the young party leaders sent to China and Egypt to undertake military training.
In 1964, he returned to Zimbabwe. Some founding members of ZAPU, including Mugabe, had left the outfit and formed the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). Mnangagwa joined Mugabe in ZANU.
Crocodile Gang
In 1965, Mnangagwa led a group of fighters called the Crocodile Gang to protest against racial discrimination. It is during this period that he got the nickname “crocodile” or ngwena in the local dialect.
Mnangagwa was accused of blowing up a train in Masvingo during the push for self-rule in Zimbabwe.
He was, consequently, sentenced to death in late 1965, but his lawyers successfully argued that he was below 21 years of age, hence could not be hanged under the law at the time.
He was, therefore, sentenced to ten years in jail. He would, again, meet Mugabe in detention.
After completing his jail term, Mnangagwa was released in 1975 and deported to the neighbouring Zambia, where he studied law.
While in Zambia, he remained in regular communication with Mugabe. In 1977, Mugabe named Mnangagwa as his special assistant.
Mnangagwa also became the leader of the civil and military units of the pro-independence political outfit the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF).
First national security minister
On April 18, 1980, Zimbabwe gained independence from the British and Mugabe was named the country’s prime minister.
His political alter ego, Mnangagwa, was appointed the country’s first minister of national security.
On April 18, 1987, Mugabe changed the country’s constitution, and became Zimbabwe’s first president.
Between 1988 and 2000, Mnangagwa served as the minister of justice, legal and parliamentary affairs, and also briefly held the position of finance minister after the holder, Ariston Chambati, died in office.
In 2000, Mnangagwa lost a parliamentary election. Mugabe did not want his longtime friend to stay out in the political cold. He, therefore, nominated Mnangagwa to parliament.
Mnangagwa would go ahead to successfully contest for the parliament speaker’s seat. He served as speaker for five years – between 2000 and 2005.
In 2005, he was appointed minister of rural housing and social amenities, a post he held until 2009.
2008 elections
The March 29, 2008 Zimbabwean election was a tricky one for Mugabe. His main challenger Morgan Tsvangirai had secured a first round victory, triggering a run-off.
Zimbabwean election observers said it was Mnangagwa who masterminded Mugabe’s second-round win to cement the president’s stay in power.
Hundreds of opposition supporters were either injured or killed, in what was perceived as brutal attempts to silence dissent in the country.
Tsvangirai withdrew from the run-off and Mugabe went ahead to secure re-election.
Between 2009 and 2013, Mnangagwa served as the minister of defence.
In the July 31, 2013 presidential election, Mugabe ran again. Just like in 2008, he faced off against Tsvangirai.
Mugabe would go ahead to win a disputed seventh term with 2.1 million votes (61.9%) against Tsvangirai’s nearly 1.2 million votes (34.4%).
After being re-elected, though controversially, Mugabe appointed Mnangagwa as the vice president of Zimbabwe.
Fallout
Mnangagwa served in that capacity until early November 2017, when Mugabe sacked him over “disloyalty”.
The president also accused Mnangagwa of attempting to topple him by all means possible, including through witchcraft, allegations that Mnangagwa denied.
“He (Mnangagwa) went to apostolic church prophets to find out when Mugabe would die. But he was told he would die first,” Mugabe told his supporters in the capital Harare on November 8, 2017.
“He thought that by being close to me, I would carry him on my back to the presidency. But I didn't die, I didn't resign,” Mugabe added. “We hope we can deal with others who were conspirators alongside him.”
Subsequently, speculation arose that Mugabe was preparing to hand over power to his wife, Grace Mugabe.
Mnangagwa fled to South Africa on November 6, claiming that his life was in danger.
“My sudden departure was caused by incessant threats on my person, life and family by those who have attempted before through various forms of elimination including poisoning,” Mnangagwa said at the time.
Mugabe’s fall
A few weeks later, Mugabe was forced out of office and Mnangagwa returned to succeed him.
Zimbabwe held its first post-Mugabe elections on July 30, 2018, when Mnangagwa was declared the presidential election winner against opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa.
He got 2.46 million votes (51.44%) to clinch a round one victory against Chamisa’s 2.15 million votes (45.07%).
A rematch between the two played out in the August 23, 2023 elections. Again, Mnangagwa emerged victorious, though controversially.
On Saturday night, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced that 80-year-old Mnangagwa of the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) got 2.35 million (52.6%) to secure a first-round victory.
His closest challenger, 45-year-old Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party, came second with 1.97 million votes (44%).
‘Brighter future’ for Zimbabwe
Mnangagwa has promised “a brighter future for Zimbabwe” after getting re-elected. The opposition, however, says the election was marred by widespread irregularities.
Mnangagwa further said in an address on Sunday that he would prioritise food security, national integration and championing peace in his next five years in office.
For now, Mnangagwa has had the better of Chamisa, who accuses him of reneging on many campaign promises, curtailing human rights and cracking down on anti-government activists.
The president-elect has six children with his late wife, Jayne Matarise.
