Emmerson Mnangagwa

=== Speaker of Parliament: 2000–2005 ===
Mnangagwa ran in the [[2000 Zimbabwean parliamentary election|2000 parliamentary election]] as the ZANU–PF candidate for the Kwekwe constituency.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":39">{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2015/05/26/mnangagwa-cannot-win-elections|title=Mnangagwa cannot win elections|last=Tafirenyika|first=Mugove|date=2015-05-26|work=DailyNews Live|access-date=2018-10-24|archive-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024073801/https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2015/05/26/mnangagwa-cannot-win-elections|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was defeated by [[Blessing Chebundo]] of the newly formed [[Movement for Democratic Change (1999–2005)|Movement for Democratic Change]], who received 64% of the vote to Mnangagwa's 35%.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":39" /><ref name=":31">{{Cite news|url=http://old.themoscowtimes.com/sitemap/free/2000/7/article/zimbabwe-elects-new-speaker/260550.html|title=Zimbabwe Elects New Speaker|last=Chinaka|first=Chris|date=2000-07-20|work=The Moscow Times|access-date=2018-10-23}}</ref> Mnangagwa lost in spite of voter intimidation and violence by ZANU–PF, which included dousing Chebundo in petrol and attempting to burn him alive, as well as setting Chebundo's house on fire.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":32">{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6506549.stm|title=Profile: Emmerson Mnangagwa|last=Winter|first=Joseph|date=2007-03-30|work=BBC News|access-date=2018-10-23|language=en-GB}}</ref> After his defeat, Mugabe appointed Mnangagwa to one of the 20 unelected seats in Parliament.<ref name=":39" /><ref name="Opts">Lebo Nkatazo, [http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/mnanga12.17704.html "After 2 defeats, Mnangagwa opts for rural constituency"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208120758/http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/mnanga12.17704.html |date=8 February 2008 }}, Newzimbabwe.com, 5 February 2008.</ref>

On 17 July 2000, Mugabe announced a new cabinet, from which Mnangagwa was conspicuously absent.<ref name=":31" /> His exclusion from the cabinet fanned speculation that Mnangagwa, widely seen as Mugabe's preferred successor, had lost favour with the president. However, the next day, when Parliament was sworn in, Mnangagwa was elected [[List of speakers of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe|Speaker of the House of Assembly]], receiving 87 ballots against MDC candidate [[Mike Mataure]]'s 59 votes.<ref name=":31" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2361_00.htm|title=Zimbabwe: parliamentary elections Parliament, 2000|website=archive.ipu.org|access-date=2018-10-23}}</ref> The secret ballot election was the first competitive vote for speaker since the country's independence.<ref name=":31" /> Rather than having lost the president's favour, Mugabe likely excluded Mnangagwa from the cabinet because he was arranging for him to serve as speaker instead.<ref name=":31" />

In October 2000, Mnangagwa thwarted an attempt by the MDC members of Parliament to [[Impeachment|impeach]] Mugabe.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Degrees in Violence: Robert Mugabe and the Struggle for Power in Zimbabwe|last=Blair|first=David|publisher=Continuum|year=2002|isbn=978-0-8264-5974-9|location=London and New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/degreesinviolenc0000blai/page/196 196]|url=https://archive.org/details/degreesinviolenc0000blai/page/196}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Mugabe: Teacher, Revolutionary, Tyrant|last=Norman|first=Andrew|publisher=The History Press|year=2008|isbn=978-1-86227-491-4|location=Stroud|pages=86}}</ref> During his tenure as speaker, Mnangagwa continued to be subject to international scrutiny regarding his mining interests in the Congo during the Second Congo War. A 2001 [[United Nations]] report described him as "the architect of the commercial activities of ZANU–PF".<ref name=":32" /> A ''[[The Guardian]]'' article from the same year wrote that Mnangagwa "negotiated the swapping of Zimbabwean soldiers' lives for mining contracts".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/may/29/zimbabwe.chrismcgreal|title=An army guarding power and profits|last=McGreal|first=Chris|date=2001-05-29|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-10-23}}</ref> In 2002, a report authored by a panel commissioned by the [[United Nations Security Council|UN Security Council]] implicated him in the exploitation of mineral wealth from the Congo and for his involvement in making Harare a significant illicit diamond trading centre.<ref name=":33">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/22/world/un-study-says-armies-leave-corrupt-networks-in-congo.html|title=U.N. Study Says Armies Leave Corrupt Networks in Congo|date=2002-10-22|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-10-22|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":34">[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/2002/n0262179.pdf "Final report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo"] United Nations, UN Doc: S/2002/1146, 16 October 2002</ref> The panel and recommended that Mnangagwa, along with 53 others, be subject to international travel bans and financial restrictions.<ref name=":33" /><ref name=":34" /> The following year, he was placed under United States sanctions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2003/03/10/03-5848/blocking-property-of-persons-undermining-democratic-processes-or-institutions-in-zimbabwe|title=Blocking property of persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe|work=Federal Register|access-date=29 August 2023}}</ref>

In December 2004, internal divisions within ZANU–PF became public when Mnangagwa, along with [[Jonathan Moyo]], the [[Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (Zimbabwe)|Minister of Information]], were censured at a party meeting for allegedly plotting against Mugabe.<ref name=":9" /> The controversy began when Moyo hosted a meeting with other politicians in his home district of [[Tsholotsho District|Tsholotsho]] to discuss replacing Mugabe's choice for vice-president, [[Joice Mujuru]], with Mnangagwa.<ref name=":35">{{Cite news|url=https://www.zimbabwesituation.com/old/dec30_2004.html|title=Final nail in Moyo coffin|date=2004-12-29|work=Daily Mirror|access-date=2018-10-23}}</ref><ref name=":36">{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4191143.stm|title=Mugabe ministers in court battle|date=2005-01-20|work=BBC News|access-date=2018-10-23|language=en-GB}}</ref> They hoped that as vice-president, Mnangagwa would be in a superior position to become president when Mugabe stepped down, which they believed might happen as early as 2008.<ref name=":35" /><ref name=":36" /> The group also planned to replace ZANU–PF chair [[John Nkomo]] and party vice-president [[Joseph Msika]] with their preferred candidates.<ref name=":35" />

Despite President Mugabe's calls for unity, observers described the rivalry between supporters of Mnangagwa and Mujuru as the most serious division within ZANU–PF in 30 years.<ref name=":36" /> Mujuru garnered a large amount of support in ZANU–PF's [[Politburo of ZANU–PF|politburo]], [[central committee]], [[presidium]], and among the provincial party chairs.<ref name="ICG-2014">{{Cite web|url=http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/africa/southern-africa/zimbabwe/b103-zimbabwe-waiting-for-the-future.pdf|title=Zimbabwe: Waiting for the Future|date=29 September 2014|series=Africa Briefing No. 103|publisher=International Crisis Group|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930210617/http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/africa/southern-africa/zimbabwe/b103-zimbabwe-waiting-for-the-future.pdf|archive-date=30 September 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=9 October 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Mnangagwa's support came from the senior ranks of the security establishment, as well as parts of ZANU–PF's parliamentary caucus and younger party members.<ref name="ICG-2014" /> The rivalry was ethnic as well as political: Mnangagwa drew his support from members of his ethnic group, the Karanga, while Mujuru's supporters were largely Zezuru.<ref name=":37">{{Cite news|url=https://www.news24.com/Africa/Zimbabwe/Mugabe-promotes-hard-liner-20050412|title=Mugabe promotes hard liner|date=2005-04-12|work=News24|access-date=2018-10-23|language=en}}</ref>

At the ZANU–PF party congress held from 1–5 December 2004, Mujuru was named vice-president, while Moyo and other Mnangagwa proponents were disciplined.<ref name=":36" /> Moyo was removed from the cabinet and the politburu, and seven other party officials were penalized with suspensions, preventing them from running for Parliament in the upcoming elections.<ref name=":32" /><ref name=":35" /><ref name=":36" /> Mnangagwa attempted to distance himself from the controversy, but nevertheless lost his title as [[ZANU–PF]]'s secretary for administration, an office he had held for four years and one that gave him the power to appoint his allies to important party positions.<ref name=":35" /><ref name=":36" /><ref name="chiefwhip">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/emmerson-mnangagwa-robert-mugabe-resigns-who-succeeds-zimbabwe-president-zanu-pf-crocodile-a8067796.html|title=Emmerson Mnangagwa: After Robert Mugabe resigns, who is the Zanu-PF politician favourite to succeed him as Zimbabwe President?|last=Mortimer|first=Caroline|date=21 November 2017|access-date=25 November 2017|newspaper=The Independent}}</ref> In what was considered a demotion, he was given the less influential position of secretary for legal affairs instead.<ref name="chiefwhip" />