Emmerson Mnangagwa

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (born 15 September 1942) is a Zimbabwean politician who has served as the President of Zimbabwe since 2017. He was the First Vice President of Zimbabwe from 2014 to 2017, and served as the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs from 2013 to 2014.

Mnangagwa was born in the village of Sherwood, Zvishavane District, Midlands Province. He joined the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) in 1963 and became a guerrilla fighter during the Rhodesian Bush War. He was arrested in 1965 and sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. He was released in 1979 and went into exile in Mozambique.

After the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979, Mnangagwa returned to Zimbabwe and became a member of the ZANU government. He served as Minister of State for National Security from 1980 to 1985, and as Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs from 1985 to 2000. He was also the Speaker of the House of Assembly from 1990 to 2000.

In 2000, Mnangagwa was appointed Minister of Defence by President Robert Mugabe. He served in that position until 2005, when he was appointed Minister of Rural Housing and Social Amenities. In 2008, he was appointed Minister of Home Affairs.

In 2014, Mnangagwa was appointed First Vice President of Zimbabwe. He was seen as a potential successor to Mugabe, but he was dismissed from office in November 2017. He fled to South Africa, where he sought asylum.

In November 2017, Mugabe was forced to resign, and Mnangagwa returned to Zimbabwe. He was sworn in as President on 24 November 2017.

Mnangagwa is a controversial figure. He has been accused of human rights abuses and corruption. However, he is also seen as a pragmatist who is willing to work with the international community.

Mnangagwa is married to Auxilia Mnangagwa. They have three children.