The Sunday Mail
His moniker is “the Crocodile”, or, in Shona, “Ngwena”.
But his demeanour hardly passes for that of the predator of the waters.
Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa has invariably been labelled an inscrutable, unyielding character by a private Press keen on playing him against ex-VP Joice Mujuru.
To others, he is a vastly experienced politician who combines dexterity and humour to deadly effect.
He sparked fits of laughter at Zanu-PF’s National People’s Congress with his “Pamberi neZanu-PF, pasi nemhandu-uuu” slogan.
And the thunderous applause when President Mugabe subsequently named him his deputy spoke of the immense respect this man commands.
But few people really know what kind of man Ngwena is outside of public life.
So The Sunday Mail had a sit-down with Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa — his wife of 31 years — and she opened up on a side of the Crocodile the world has rarely seen.
“Many people think Ngwena is his totem. However, his totem is actually Shumba. He was given the nick-name Ngwena during his time as Minister for State Security in the 1980s because people said he has a strong character.
“As minister of such a sensitive portfolio, many people admired how he conducted his business and this is how he gained respect from those who worked under him.”
Cde Mnangagwa was handed the Vice-Presidency following allegations that Joice Mujuru was plotting to topple President Mugabe and had habitually engaged in corruption and abuse of office.
Prior to that, his name was regularly mentioned as the natural successor to the Vice-Presidency. Even then, the man himself appeared nonchalant, disregarding the speculation and never once indicating whether or not he was interested in the job.
At Congress, he discharged his duties as Zanu-PF legal affairs secretary as if nothing spectacular was going on.
And with President Mugabe typically keeping his cards close, no one was really sure if Ngwena’s moment had come.
But by the time this piece had been writen, Cde Mnangagwa had been sworn-in as VP.
His wife was at the colourful ceremony and was gushing as her husband assumed the second most powerful job in the country.
“Well, to be honest, we actually celebrated for him. He did not leap into the air. He did not run around the house in jubilation. We did that for him. He did not show much emotion except to say that he was thankful to the President. His actual words were: ‘Ndinotenda mukuru wangu zvaandiitira’.
“He is a soft and humble man; a man of few words. When he speaks, he speaks sense.
“There has never been a single day when he has yelled at me or laid a hand on me; he has never beaten me. I might be in the wrong, at times, and expect him to react crudely. Yet, he remains quiet.
“He is tolerant and forgiving. He will allow you to do wrong, but eventually correct you at the right time.”
She goes on: “He is also very particular, paying close attention to detail. In fact, he is knowledgeable on a wide range of issues, and he likes to keep things on a matter-of-fact basis.
“If I tell him about a problem in the house, or an issue about our children, he is quick to give good judgement.”
Mrs Mnangagwa has witnessed an upswing in her own political career, after she was appointed deputy secretary for environment and tourism in the Zanu-PF Politburo.
She tells us that the new VP enjoys farming.
“He likes to move around the fields, inspecting the crops and forecasting the harvests. I think he is one of the best farmers in Zimbabwe, if ever there was to be such an award.
“We farm all-year-round from January to December, and he is a hands-on person who wants to know how much we are going to produce and why there was any crop failure, if any.”
What of the children?
She says, “As a father, he encourages his children to work hard . . . he always preaches love and unity in the family. We have twins; he always tells the family to be united because we are all twins.
“I believe the role he has played in unifying the Mnangagwa family is the same role that he is going to play in unifying Zimbabwe by using his tact and astuteness. I have no doubt about this.
“We are a happy family because he is a happy man. I am very thankful to President Mugabe for appointing my husband Vice-President. We have had meetings with him since the appointment and they have all been very educative.
“He has told the Vice-President and myself to mature politically and conduct ourselves in a good manner befitting the new office.”
