Mnangagwa more ruthless than Mugabe

Emmerson Mnangagwa, for long considered one of President Robert Mugabe’s potential successors, was likely to be more brutal than Mugabe if he became president, a political analyst Brian Raftopoulos, told United States embassy officials in December 2000.

Mnangagwa, whose political star had been waning since losing his Kwekwe seat to Blessing Chebundo of the Movement for Democratic Change, was reported to have scored a major coup at the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front extra-ordinary congress in December 2000 when he was catapulted to number four in the party as secretary for administration.

According to a diplomatic cable entitled: New Zimbabwe politburo strengthens Mnangagwa’s bid to succeed Mugabe, the new politburo not only consolidated Mugabe’s position in ZANU-PF, it also appeared to be putting Mnangagwa near the apex of party power.

“If Mugabe is indeed thinking of stepping down a year or two after winning one more term, as a number of interlocutors have told us, now would be the time to begin preparing a successor,” the cable says.

“Mnangagwa is a long-time and close ally of Mugabe and has the full confidence of the president. The Speaker’s feared reputation as an “enforcer” would serve Mugabe’s desire to hold ZANU-PF together and defeat the MDC using any means necessary.”

Mnangagwa had replaced Didymus Mutasa as secretary for administration. Insider Zim