Robert Mugabe’s former deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking led to the autocrat’s downfall, now seems likely to be the next head of state of Zimbabwe.
On Sunday, Mnangagwa was named president of the ruling ZANU-PF party in place of Mugabe.
That put him one step ahead for the top job as Mugabe resigned today.
Nicknamed “Ngwena” (The Crocodile) because of his fearsome power and ruthlessness, the 75-year-old Mnangagwa had appeared to have been outfoxed by Mugabe’s wife, Grace.
The First Lady, a former typist, who is 41 years younger than her husband, lobbied the veteran head of state to ditch his vice president, a long-serving lieutenant, to further her own political ambitions.
But Mnangagwa has close ties with the military, which was alarmed at Grace’s rise, and the generals intervened.
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Zimbabwe: Mnangagwa the Crocodile likely Mugabe’s successor
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