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Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO-born author and journalist Ray Ndlovu will this month launch his book chronicling events leading to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rise to power.

The book, titled, “In the Jaws of a Crocodile: Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rise to power in Zimbabwe”, will be launched in Harare and Bulawayo after a successful launch in South Africa where it was published by Penguin Random House.

Last Tuesday, Ndlovu delivered the book to President Mnangagwa before the Head of State left for Zambia where he had been invited to officiate at the neighbouring country’s Independence celebrations.

“The launch dates are 14 November 2018 in Harare and 29 November 2018 in Bulawayo. Details still need to be finalised,” said Ndlovu, a former Trends Magazine and Business Chronicle intern who now works for a South African publication, Sunday Times.

“I gave a copy of my book to President ED Mnangagwa on Tuesday afternoon just before he left for Zambia. Our meeting was brief, as he was just leaving the office on his way to the airport. I told him that I was there to give him a signed copy of In the Jaws of the Crocodile and also asked that he sign my author copy, to which he agreed.”

Ndlovu said he also gave a copy to deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) Mr George Charamba through a third party.

“The reason why I was not able to give it to Mr Charamba directly is because he left for the airport, while I was still with President ED Mnangagwa. He later sent a message when I was back in SA to say thank you, he had received the copy,” he said.

According to the book’s publishers Penguin Random House South Africa, the book gives an account of events leading to President Mnangagwa’s rise to power.

President Mnangagwa assumed the country’s Presidency for the first time in November last year following the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) military intervention Operation Restore Legacy.

“In the Jaws of the Crocodile tells the gripping story of how Mnangagwa fled Zimbabwe in fear for his life, and of his brief exile in South Africa where he declared to (former President Mr Robert) Mugabe that he would return ‘in a matter of weeks’ to take control of the levers of power,” reads the book’s summary.

“It describes the military intervention against Mugabe and his allies, analyses the sudden power shift within Zanu-PF, and gives an eyewitness account of the mass demonstrations as people took to the streets to demand an end to Mugabe’s rule. It describes Mnangagwa’s return to Zimbabwe to take over the presidency, and concludes with an account of the 2018 harmonised elections.”