Emmerson mnangagwa biography

Emmerson Mnangagwa, 80, who succeeded strongman Robert Mugabe in a coup, is earning a reputation as an even more authoritarian leader determined to cling to power.

Nicknamed "the crocodile" in Zimbabwe, the outgoing president is seeking a second term on Wednesday, in a dreaded tense ballot. His detractors accuse him of having implemented a repression of the opposition for months, in a context of hyperinflation and a stricken economy.

"He's a very repressive and authoritarian figure," sums up Brian Raftopoulos, a Zimbabwean political researcher.

Supporter of a hard line and heavyweight of the party in power (Zanu-PF) since independence, Mnangagwa becomes head of state at the end of a war of succession which opposes him to Grace Mugabe, the wife of the nonagenarian president dismissed in 2017.

The showdown between the rivals initially ended with the dismissal of Mnangagwa from the post of vice-president. Fearing for his life, he fled to Mozambique.

His son who accompanies him describes him after a nocturnal journey through the mountains, sitting at a bus stop, dusty suit and torn shoes, with only a briefcase filled with dollars.

But in a few weeks, the situation is reversed. The generals take power and boost Mnangagwa. The country is witnessing the triumphant return