In the Jaws of the Crocodile: Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Rise to Power in Zimbabwe

It is impossible to understand recent groundbreaking events in Zimbabwe without insight into the role of Emmerson Mnangagwa. The fall of Robert Mugabe and the inauguration of Emmerson Mnangagwa as Zimbabwe’s new president in November 2017 were events that no one could have predicted. Just three weeks earlier, Mugabe had sacked Mnangagwa as vice president, a move that seemed to end the long political career of the man known as ‘The Crocodile’. From exile in South Africa, where he had been forced to flee for his life, Mnangagwa made a statement telling Mugabe that he would return ‘in a matter of weeks’ to take control of the levers of power in government and in ZANU-PF. It was a journey with little guarantee of success. However, family members, business associates and allies took serious risks to support him, while a nation squeezed by dire economic meltdown and a deep longing for new leadership raised the stakes and demonstrated against Mugabe after a military intervention. Drawing on interviews with Mnangagwa, his family, his allies and opponents, and senior political figures, this book explores the behind-the-scenes story of how Mnangagwa pushed back and rose to power, changing the fate of a nation.