Zimbabwe’s president, a former guerrilla fighter known as ‘the crocodile,’ is seeking reelection

Published August 20, 2023 11:04 PM

By FARAI MUTSAKA
Associated Press

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa is a former guerrilla fighter and bodyguard who responded to being fired as vice president by unseating long-ruling autocrat Robert Mugabe in a coup. The 80-year-old Mnangagwa is now seeking reelection for a second term as president in a vote this week that could see the ruling ZANU-PF party extend a 43-year hold on power. Mnangagwa’s nickname — “the crocodile” — fits well for a man praised by supporters for his political cunning and criticized by others for a ruthless streak. He showed that by replacing Mugabe, his political mentor and the man he once protected as a bodyguard.

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