Leader known as ‘Crocodile’ set to replace Mugabe
JOHANNESBURG — Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, elected Sunday as the new leader of Zimbabwe’s ruling political party and positioned to take over as the country’s leader, has engineered a remarkable comeback using skills he no doubt learned from his longtime mentor, President Robert Mugabe.
Mnangagwa served for decades as Mugabe’s enforcer — a role that gave him a reputation for being astute, ruthless and effective at manipulating the levers of power. Among the population, he is more feared than popular, but he has strategically fostered a loyal support base within the military and security forces.
A leading government figure since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, he became vice president in 2014 and is so widely known as the “Crocodile” that his supporters are called Team Lacoste for the brand’s crocodile logo.
Mugabe unwittingly set in motion the events that led to his own downfall, firing his vice president on Nov. 6. Mnangagwa f led the country to avoid arrest while issuing a ringing statement saying he would return to lead Zimbabwe.
For weeks, Mnangagwa had been publicly demonized by Mugabe and his wife. Grace, so he had time to prepare his strategy. Within days of the vice president’s dismissal, his supporters in the military put Mugabe and his wife under house arrest.
When Mugabe refused to resign, a demonstration Saturday brought thousands of people into the streets of the capital, Harare. The uprising was not spontaneous. Thousands of professionally produced posters praising Mnangagwa and the military were printed ahead of time.
At the same time, Mnangagwa’s allies in the ruling ZANU-PF party lobbied for the removal of Mugabe as the party leader and said impeachment proceedings will begin if he doesn’t resign by noon today.
In recent years, Mnangagwa has promoted himself as an experienced leader who will bring stability to Zimbabwe. But his promises to return Zimbabwe to democracy and prosperity are viewed with skepticism by many experts.
“He has successfully managed a palace coup that leaves ZANU-PF and the military in charge. He’s been Mugabe’s bag man for decades,” said Zimbabwean author and commentator Peter Godwin. “I have low expectations about what he will achieve as president. I hope I will be proved wrong.”