Robert Mugabe was a former guerrilla chief who took power after the end of white minority rule in 1980, and presided over a country whose early promise was eroded by economic turmoil and human rights violations.
Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi have been hit by a vicious cyclone that has killed nearly 150 people, left hundreds more missing and stranded tens of thousands.
With the military overthrowing the government and rival VP Mnangagwa now set to take control, Mugabe's grip on power is not just threatened but absolutely annihilated.