Emmerson Mnangagwa

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (born 15 September 1942) is a Zimbabwean politician who has served as the president of Zimbabwe since 2017. His rule has been described as a dictatorship. A member of ZANU–PF and a longtime ally of former president Robert Mugabe, he held a series of cabinet portfolios and he was Mugabe's first vice-president from 2014 until 2017, when he was dismissed before coming to power in a coup d'état. He secured his first full term as president in the disputed 2018 general election. Mnangagwa was re-elected in the 2023 Zimbabwean general election with 52.6% of the vote.

Mnangagwa was born in 1942 in Shabani, Southern Rhodesia, to a large Shona family. His parents were farmers, and in the 1950s he and his family were forced to move to Northern Rhodesia because of his father's political activism. There he became active in anti-colonial politics, and in 1963 he joined the newly formed Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army, the militant wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). He returned to Rhodesia in 1964 as leader of the "Crocodile Gang", a group that attacked white-owned farms in the Eastern Highlands. In 1965, he bombed a train near Fort Victoria (now Masvingo) and was imprisoned for ten years, after which he was released and deported to the recently independent Zambia. He later studied law at the University of Zambia and practiced as an attorney for two years before going to Mozambique to rejoin ZANU. In Mozambique, he was assigned to be Robert Mugabe's assistant and bodyguard and accompanied him to the Lancaster House Agreement which resulted in Zimbabwe's recognised independence in 1980.

After independence, Mnangagwa held a series of senior cabinet positions under Mugabe. From 1980 to 1988, he was the country's first minister of state security, and oversaw the Central Intelligence Organisation. His role in the Gukurahundi massacres, in which thousands of Ndebele civilians were killed during his tenure, is controversial. Mnangagwa was Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs from 1989 to 2000 and then Speaker of the Parliament from 2000 until 2005, when he was demoted to Minister of Rural Housing for openly jockeying to succeed the aging Mugabe. He returned to favour during the 2008 general election, in which he ran Mugabe's campaign, orchestrating political violence against the opposition Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai. Mnangagwa served as Minister of Defence from 2009 until 2013, when he became justice minister again. He was also appointed First Vice-President in 2014 and was widely considered a leading candidate to succeed Mugabe.

Mnangagwa's ascendancy was opposed by Mugabe's wife, Grace Mugabe, and her Generation 40 political faction. Mugabe dismissed Mnangagwa from his positions in November 2017, and he fled to South Africa. Soon after, General Constantino Chiwenga, backed by elements of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and members of Mnangagwa's Lacoste political faction, launched a coup. After losing ZANU–PF's support, Mugabe resigned, and Mnangagwa returned to Zimbabwe to assume the presidency.

Mnangagwa is commonly nicknamed "" or "" (Shona: 'The crocodile'). He is also known in his home province of Midlands as "the Godfather". Mnangagwa was included in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2018.

Early life and education Early childhood: 1942–1955 Dambudzo Mnangagwa was born on 15 September 1942 in Shabani (now Zvishavane), a mining town in central Southern Rhodesia. His parents, Mafidhi and Mhurai Mnangagwa, were politically active farmers. His father had two wives, having inherited his wife Mhurai's sister after the death of her husband. There, Mnangagwa first met Robert Mugabe when Mugabe stayed with the Mnangagwa family for a time while working at a teachers' college in Lusaka. Mugabe inspired Mnangagwa to become involved in anti-colonial politics. Most of his classmates at Myooye had three names, while Mnangagwa only had one, Dambudzo. Two other ZAPU members of his same Karanga background, Simon Muzenda and Leopold Takawira, the party's external affairs secretary, intervened to save his life. In August 1963, ten of the 13 trainees, including Mnangagwa, joined the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), which had been formed earlier that month as a breakaway group from ZAPU. Part of the first group of ZANLA fighters sent overseas for training, he and four others were sent to Beijing, where he spent the first two months studying at Peking University's School of Marxism, run by the Chinese Communist Party. He then spent three months in combat training in Nanjing and studied at a school for military engineering before returning to Tanzania in May 1964.

The Crocodile Group: 1964–1965 Upon returning to Tanzania, Mnangagwa co-founded the Crocodile Gang, a ZANLA guerrilla unit led by William Ndangana composed of the men he had trained within China: John Chigaba, Robert Garachani, Lloyd Gundu, Felix Santana, and Phebion Shonhiwa. They were meant to be provided with weapons, but none were available. At the congress, Ndabaningi Sithole was elected president, Takawira vice-president, Herbert Chitepo national chairman, Mugabe secretary-general, and Enos Nkala treasurer. Shortly after the congress, three members of the Crocodile Gang were captured and arrested for smuggling guns into the country, while Lawrence Svosve went missing after being sent by Mnangagwa to Lusaka to retrieve some messages. Dhlamini and Mlambo were caught and hanged for the crime; the others evaded capture. Before Oberholzer's murder, the gang had already bombed the Nyanyadzi police station and attempted other ambushes after arriving in Southern Rhodesia via bus from Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia. The gang became known for its use of knives and for leaving green handwritten anti-government pamphlets at the scenes of its crimes. He was given over to the Rhodesia Special Branch, which tortured him by hanging him upside down and beating him, an ordeal that reportedly caused him to lose hearing in his left ear. He was convicted under Section 37(1)(b) of the Law and Order Maintenance Act and sentenced to death, Other sources state that a priest intervened on his behalf, Mnangagwa and his lawyers discovered a loophole that would allow him to be deported after his release if he claimed to be Zambian. He then completed his articling with the Lusaka-based law firm of the Rhodesian-born Enoch Dumbutshena, who would later become Zimbabwe's first black judge. He was admitted to the Zambian bar in 1976. Among other responsibilities, his portfolio oversaw the Central Intelligence Organisation, the national intelligence agency. During this period, he also served as ZANU's secretary for national security.

Gukurahundi

While Mnangagwa was Minister of State for National Security, the 5th Brigade of the Zimbabwe National Army killed thousands of Ndebele civilians in the Matabeleland region of western Zimbabwe. These massacres, known as the Gukurahundi, lasted from 1983 to 1987, and resulted in an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 deaths. The extent of Mnangagwa's role in the genocide is disputed, with Mnangagwa himself denying any involvement. He asked in a 2017 interview, "How do I become the enforcer of the Gukurahundi? We had the president, the minister of defence, the commander of the army, and I was none of that."

Despite his denials, Mnangagwa is accused by many, including foreign governments, opposition politicians, and human rights groups, of playing a significant, or leading role in the Gukurahundi. He also said that their villages should be burned. While the 5th Brigade, which Mnangagwa did not directly oversee, carried out the vast majority of the killings, the CIO participated in other ways, including apprehending and interrogating alleged dissidents. The agreement, signed by Prime Minister Mugabe and ZAPU leader Joshua Nkomo, merged ZAPU into the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF). ZANU–PF ran a well-publicised and organised campaign in Kwekwe, holding meetings between Mnangagwa and community leaders and putting up numerous posters. On election day, Mnangagwa won with 23,898 votes, while his little-known rival, ZUM candidate Sylvester Chibanda, received only 7,094 votes.

Kinshasa, where Mnangagwa was often based during the Second Congo War. While serving as justice minister, Mnangagwa was also acting finance minister from November 1995 to April 1996, after the previous minister, Bernard Chidzero, stepped down for health reasons, and his successor Ariston Chambati died. During the war, Mnangagwa enriched himself through mineral wealth seized from the Congo.

Speaker of Parliament: 2000–2005 Mnangagwa ran in the 2000 parliamentary election as the ZANU–PF candidate for the Kwekwe constituency. He was defeated by Blessing Chebundo of the newly formed Movement for Democratic Change, who received 64% of the vote to Mnangagwa's 35%. Mnangagwa lost in spite of voter intimidation and violence by ZANU–PF, which included dousing Chebundo in petrol and attempting to burn him alive, as well as setting Chebundo's house on fire. After his defeat, Mugabe appointed Mnangagwa to one of the 20 unelected seats in Parliament.

On 17 July 2000, Mugabe announced a new cabinet, from which Mnangagwa was conspicuously absent. The secret ballot election was the first competitive vote for speaker since the country's independence. During his tenure as speaker, Mnangagwa continued to be subject to international scrutiny regarding his mining interests in the Congo during the Second Congo War. A 2001 United Nations report described him as "the architect of the commercial activities of ZANU–PF". In 2002, a report authored by a panel commissioned by the UN Security Council implicated him in the exploitation of mineral wealth from the Congo and for his involvement in making Harare a significant illicit diamond trading centre. The panel and recommended that Mnangagwa, along with 53 others, be subject to international travel bans and financial restrictions.

In December 2004, internal divisions within ZANU–PF became public when Mnangagwa, along with Jonathan Moyo, the Minister of Information, were censured at a party meeting for allegedly plotting against Mugabe. They hoped that as vice-president, Mnangagwa would be in a superior position to become president when Mugabe stepped down, which they believed might happen as early as 2008. Mnangagwa's support came from the senior ranks of the security establishment, as well as parts of ZANU–PF's parliamentary caucus and younger party members.

At the ZANU–PF party congress held from 1–5 December 2004, Mujuru was named vice-president, while Moyo and other Mnangagwa proponents were disciplined. In what was considered a demotion, he was given the less influential position of secretary for legal affairs instead. John Nkomo replaced Mnangagwa as Speaker of Parliament. In the new cabinet, Mugabe named Mnangagwa as Minister of Rural Housing and Social Amenities. This was widely seen as a demotion by Mugabe in retribution for Mnangagwa's involvement in the plot for him to become vice-president over Mujuru, the president's choice. By 2007, Mnangagwa was reportedly back in Mugabe's favour, and the president was now said to be dismayed at the political activities of Mnangagwa's rival, Vice-President Mujuru, and her husband, former army chief Solomon Mujuru.

According to the government, the soldiers planned on forcibly removing Mugabe from the presidency and asking Mnangagwa to form a government with the heads of the armed forces. Some analysts speculated that rival potential successors to Mugabe, such as former ZANLA leader Solomon Mujuru, may have been behind the scheme in an attempt to discredit Mnangagwa, who had for a number of years been seen as Mugabe's likely successor. Matapo denied that he and the other accused plotters planning a coup, and said he had no interest in supporting Mnangagwa, whom he regarded as equally bad, if not worse, than Mugabe.

Mnangagwa was Mugabe's chief election agent during the 2008 presidential election, and headed Mugabe's campaign behind the scenes. Along with his team, Mnangagwa worked with party loyalists within the Joint Operations Command to ensure a Mugabe victory on election day. Despite having coordinated a campaign of political violence against the MDC–T in 2008, and allegedly having been behind three separate attempts to assassinate Tsvangirai over the years, Mnangagwa spoke kindly about the country's coalition government in a 2011 interview. He said, "a lot of things have happened that are positive ... we can work together without too many problems." Vice-President Joice Mujuru's faction of the party was seen as the victor in Mugabe's cabinet appointment, taking most key positions, including defence, which was previously held by Mnangagwa but was given to Sydney Sekeramayi in the new cabinet. His appointment followed the dismissal of Mnangagwa's long-time opponent in the succession rivalry, Joice Mujuru, who was cast into the political wilderness amidst allegations that she had plotted against Mugabe. He added that he had not known he was going to be named vice-president until Mugabe announced it. Soon afterward, it was reported that Mugabe had begun delegating some presidential duties to Mnangagwa. On 11 January 2016, Mnangagwa became acting president while Mugabe was on his yearly vacation. Mnangagwa took over in this role from Second Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, who had been acting president when Mugabe last went on vacation on 24 December 2015. During that trip, Mnangagwa did an interview with China Central Television in which he said that Zimbabwe had fallen behind in development and called for reform, which reportedly angered Mugabe, who saw it as criticism of his presidency. The programme, which Mnangagwa said would receive US$500 million in funding, would involve 2,000 maize-growing small-scale and commercial farmers and would allow the government to determine how much maize is grown and the price at which it is sold. Prior to her dismissal, Mujuru had been the target of relentless disparagement by First Lady Grace Mugabe, who accused her of corruption and incompetence. Because both found common cause in opposing Mujuru, by the time he became vice-president, the first lady was seen as an emergent political ally of Mnangagwa.

ZANU–PF was largely split between two factions: Generation 40, or G40, led by Grace Mugabe, and the Lacoste faction, thought to be led by Mnangagwa. The first lady, a relative political newcomer and head of the ZANU–PF Women's League, drew her support from younger, reform-minded party members who sought to replace the old guard. As the G40 faction set its sights on Mnangagwa, the Lacoste faction, largely made up of senior party members, pushed back. Charging him with feigning love for Mugabe, she mocked his presidential ambitions, rhetorically asking, "Didn't you hear there's no vacancy at State House?" Still, President Mugabe did not, at least publicly, take sides in the feud between his wife and Mnangagwa. In February 2017, after his 93rd birthday, Mugabe announced that he would not retire nor pick a successor, though he said he would let ZANU–PF pick a successor if the party saw fit. In July 2017, Grace Mugabe publicly called on her husband to name an heir.

On 11 August 2017, Mnanangwa was allegedly poisoned at a ZANU–PF rally in Gwanda led by President Mugabe. Doctors reportedly ruled out routine food poisoning, but detected traces of palladium in his liver, which would require detoxification treatments over the following two months. The previous week, Mnangagwa claimed that he had been poisoned at the August rally in Gwanda, in contrast to previous statements in which he said only that he had "fallen ill". Information Minister Simon Khaya Moyo attributed the dismissal to Mnangagwa's "traits of disloyalty, disrespect, deceitfulness, and unreliability". Mnangagwa had been accused of undermining the president's authority and of plotting to take control of key government institutions. Around a week later, on 14 November 2017, elements of the Zimbabwean military gathered in Harare, seizing control of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and key areas of the city. The following day, Major General Sibusiso Moyo, representing the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, gave a live statement broadcast on the ZBC, the state broadcaster. Moyo asserted that the military was not taking over and that President Mugabe was safe, and that the military was "targeting criminals" responsible for the country's problems.

On 19 November 2017, Mugabe was sacked by ZANU–PF, and Grace Mugabe and 20 of her high-ranking supporters were expelled from the party. Mnangagwa, who was in South Africa at the time, was chosen as the party's new leader, and was expected to soon become president. President Mugabe was given a deadline of noon on 20 November to resign before impeachment proceedings would begin. Mugabe initially refused to step down, but ultimately resigned the next day before he could be impeached. Mnangagwa returned to Zimbabwe on 22 November from South Africa. The ZBC confirmed that Mnangagwa would be sworn in on 24 November 2017. The day before his inauguration, Mnangagwa urged his followers not to seek "vengeful retribution" against his political enemies, after calls emerged from his supporters to attack the Generation 40 faction.

Presidency (2017–present) Inauguration Mnangagwa was sworn in as Zimbabwe's president on 24 November 2017 at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, before a crowd of around 60,000. Entertainment was provided by Zimbabwean singer Jah Prayzah, and attendees included several African leaders, foreign dignitaries, and domestic political figures, including opposition leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Joice Mujuru. Foreign leaders who attended included Vice-President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique, Zambian President Edgar Lungu and former President Kenneth Kaunda, and former Namibian presidents Sam Nujoma and Hifikepunye Pohamba and current Vice-President Nickey Iyambo. Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace were notably absent, the official explanation being that the former president needed to rest.

Mnangagwa was sworn in by Chief Justice Luke Malaba.

Mnangagwa called for an end to European Union and United States sanctions against top Zimbabwean military and ZANU–PF figures (including himself), and stated that the 2018 general election would be held as planned.

Foreign relations

On 18 January 2018, Mnangagwa signalled his desire to re-engage with the West by inviting the United Nations, European Union and the Commonwealth to monitor elections in Zimbabwe in 2018. Additionally, Mnangagwa has signalled his wish to re-establish good relations with the United Kingdom and additionally rejoin the Commonwealth, a prospect which he said was improved by the British exit from the European Union. Prior to the US's decision, Mnangagwa had claimed the US has "no moral right to levy sanctions" on Zimbabwe. In July 2023, Mnangagwa attended the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mnangagwa voiced support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Mnangagwa has set himself apart from historical world leaders being the first documented death row inmate to later become president and then ban the death penalty.

Cabinet On 27 November 2017, Mnangagwa dissolved the Cabinet of Zimbabwe and appointed only two acting ministers. Misheck Sibanda, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, issued a statement saying: "To allow for uninterrupted services in critical ministries of government, the following have been appointed ministers in acting capacity until the announcement of a new cabinet: Honourable Patrick Chinamasa as acting minister of finance and economic development, and Honourable Simbarashe Mumbengegwi as acting minister of foreign affairs." His new cabinet was named on 30 November 2017.

On 3 December 2017, his new cabinet appointments were criticised which led to him replacing two of his cabinet ministers. On 6 December 2017, Mnangagwa was criticised because members of the armed forces and police services drove vendors from the streets of Harare and took the goods which they were attempting to sell. Some of the vendors were heard saying Mnangagwa was worse than Robert Mugabe and that "Mugabe was in a way better, he never sent soldiers to take away our goods."

Rapproachment with white Zimbabweans In November 2017, Mnangagwa said that he would compensate white farmers whose land had been confiscated by the state.

Farmers are farmers. We have lots of former [white] commercial farmers who have happily integrated into our system by accepting to have their farms reduced or downsized.

Hundreds of white farmers returned to the country following a mellowing of restrictions on white Zimbabweans owning land. By September 2023, there were thought to be as many as 900 farms run by whites, most of them in joint ventures with blacks who had been given the properties after government confiscation.

Assassination attempt

Whilst leaving the podium after addressing a rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo, the country's second-largest city, and ahead of the scheduled 31 July elections, a grenade was thrown at Mnangagwa and exploded. Mnangagwa escaped unharmed, although several members of the ZANU-PF party were injured, including his first and second vice-presidents—Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi—as well as Marry Chiwenga, the first vice-president's wife.

Fuel protests

In January 2019, Mnangagwa announced fuel prices would be raised by 130% in an attempt to stop oil smuggling activities where offenders would buy petrol and transport it to surrounding countries. A financial and energy crisis stemmed from Zimbabwean bond coins and bills, with a value purportedly tied to the U.S. dollar, but being in reality worth noticeably less. For this reason, the proxy currency was being treated as being at a greater value than its actual worth, resulting in artificially low prices; the exportation of fuel purchased with this currency for resale with profits by smugglers presented significant problems as hard currency, which backs the proxy, is used by the nation to purchase all of Zimbabwe's oil from foreign countries, thus aggravating inflation and driving down the real value of the bond notes. As a measure to decrease the inflation rate, which had reached a peak of 18% in October 2018, the Mnangagwa government raised prices to effectively the highest in the world while keeping the bond currency, exceeding Hong Kong's fuel prices, the highest until that time; nationwide protests broke out after the price increase was announced. The police and military responded with a crackdown that resulted in hundreds of arrests and 12 deaths. Mnangagwa stated that claims of misconduct by the security forces would be investigated.

Gold Mafia scandal

In 2023, a gold-smuggling network operating through Zimbabwe was discovered with links to Mnangagwa and his ruling clique including then sports minister Kirsty Coventry. Close associate Scott Sakupwanya was named as the "king pin" but was later installed in the Parliament by Mnangagwa's ruling party.

Separately, convicted gold smuggler Ewan MacMillan fingered Mnangagwa as his partner claiming that he spent 60 days in prison to protect him.

Re-election Mnangagwa was re-elected on 23 August 2023 for his second term with disputed election results. Because his party (ZANU-PF) has been the only party to control the presidency since the country's independence, and that he and his two predecessors, Mugabe and Canaan Banana, have also been the only presidents in the country's history, the election's results caused much suspicion, and allegations of fraud from the opposing party (who lost by roughly 8%).

On 4 March 2024, the United States imposed sanctions on Mnangagwa, his wife Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and 11 other Zimbabwean individuals and entities for involvement in human rights abuses, corruption, and minerals smuggling.

On 2 September 2024, Mnangagwa announced that he will not seek a third term in 2028 and that he will finish his term by then.

Mnangagwa's presidency has been increasingly questioned, especially as protests grew in early 2025. Calls for his resignation intensified, particularly from former allies such as war veterans, who cited the country's ongoing economic struggles and the alleged enrichment of political elites. In response, Mnangagwa reshuffled his military leadership, appointing Emmanuel Matatu as army chief after the sudden retirement of Lieutenant General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe. Matatu, a former liberation war fighter, was seen as a loyalist to key military figures, including Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander Philip Valerio Sibanda. These developments occurred amid speculation that Mnangagwa might attempt to extend his presidency beyond the 2028 constitutional limit, despite his assurances that he would step down. This has added to the uncertainty surrounding Zimbabwe's political future, with widespread public discontent over economic mismanagement and corruption by government figures. Protests, although stifled by police crackdowns, reflected a broader sentiment of frustration with Mnangagwa's leadership and the state's failure to address the country's deepening crises.

At a party conference in Mutare on 18 October 2025, ZANU-PF adopted a resolution seeking to extend Mnangagwa’s term until 2030 through a constitutional amendment.

Political positions Indigenisation and black economic empowerment From the early 1990s, Mnangagwa played a key role in implementing the "Indigenisation and Black Economic Empowerment" initiative, as advised by prominent indigenous businessmen including Ben Mucheche, John Mapondera, Paul Tangi Mhova Mkondo, and the think tank and lobby group IBDC. The initiative centered on propelling local policy, ministerial policy, government policy, and the development of a ministry specific to indigenisation and black economic empowerment, such as through the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act. Mnangagwa believes that the national resources should be protected by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

Anti-Indian sentiment In the months before the 2023 Zimbabwean general election, amongst widespread economic mismanagement by the Zimbabwean government, Mnangagwa accused Zimbabwean Indians of hoarding basic goods, and threatened to seize their property.

Personal life Mnangagwa has been married twice and has eighteen children and more than a dozen grandchildren. His first wife, Jayne Matarise, was a cousin of ZANLA commander Josiah Tongogara. She did not run for reelection in the 2018 election, citing her desire to focus on her role as First Lady.

His eldest child, Farai Mlotshwa, owns a real estate agency and is married to Gerald Mlotshwa, the lawyer of Phelekezela Mphoko, a political rival of Mnangagwa's and a backer of the pro-Grace Mugabe Generation 40 faction. His youngest daughter, Tariro, is a member of a female anti-poaching unit in the Zambezi Valley and was featured in Gonarezhou, an anti-poaching film released February 2020.

His son David Kudakwashe Mnangagwa is a youth member of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe and the deputy minister of finance. His nephew Tongai Mnangagwa is also a minister in the Third Cabinet of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

In addition to his original farm in Masvingo Province, Mnangagwa also owns the Pricabe farm, which was given to him in 2002 as part of the land reform program, and is located close to Sherwood, Kwekwe.

Freedom of the city

9 December 2020: Victoria Falls.

Electoral history

Offices