Politics of Zimbabwe
Encyclopedia
Politics
of Zimbabwe
takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential
republic
, whereby the President is the head of state
and the Prime Minister
is the head of government
. Executive power
is exercised by the government. Legislative power
is vested in both the government
and parliament
.
, initially from the Lancaster House Agreement
a few months before the 1980 elections
, chaired by Lord Carrington
, institutionalizes majority rule and protection of minority rights. Since independence, the Constitution has been amended by the government to provide for:
The elected government controls senior appointments in the public service, including the military
and police
, and ensures that appointments at lower levels are made on an equitable basis by the independent Public Service Commission
.
ZANU-PF Robert Mugabe
, elected Prime Minister in 1980, revised the constitution in 1987 to make himself President. President Mugabe's affiliated party won every election from independence on April 18, 1980, until it lost the parliamentary elections in March 2008
to the Movement for Democratic Change
. In some quarters corruption and rigging elections have been alleged. In particular the elections of 1990 were nationally and internationally condemned as being rigged, with the second-placed party, Edgar Tekere
's Zimbabwe Unity Movement, winning only 20% of the vote. Presidential elections were held in 2002
amid allegations of vote-rigging, intimidation
, and fraud
and also in March 2008.
Ethnic rivalry between the Shona
and Ndebele
has played a large part in Zimbabwe's politics, a consequence of the country's borders defined by its British colonial rulers. This continued after independence in 1980, during the Gukurahundi
wars in Matabeleland
in the 1980s. This led to the political merger of Joshua Nkomo
's Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU)
with the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU)
to form ZANU-PF and the appointment of Nkomo as Vice President
.
During the course of 2005, with the Mugabe's future in question, factionalism within the Shona
has increased. http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/ar/ar_ze_018_1_eng.txt
In October 2005 it was alleged that members of the ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition MDC have held secret meetings in London and Washington to discuss plans for a new Zimbabwe after Robert Mugabe. http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-zimbabwe/end_mugabe_2926.jsp
On February 6, 2007, Mugabe orchestrated a Cabinet reshuffle, ousting ministers including 5-year veteran Minister of Finance Herbert Murerwa
.
Since the defeat of the constitutional referendum
in 2000, politics in Zimbabwe have been marked by slow regression away from many of the norms of democratic governance, such as democratic elections; the independence of the judiciary; the rule of law; freedom from racial discrimination; the existence of independent media, civil society and academia. Recent years have seen widespread violations of human rights
.
Instead, ensuing elections have been marked by political violence and intimidation, along with the politicisation of the judiciary, military
, police force
and public service. Statements by the President and government politicians have referred to a state of war, or Chimurenga
, against the opposition political parties, in particular the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
(MDC-T). Independent newspapers have been bombed and closed down, members of the judiciary have been arrested and threatened. Repressive laws aimed at preventing freedoms of speech, assembly and association have been implemented and subjectively enforced. Opposition members of parliament are routinely arrested and harassed, and a number have suffered torture or jail terms. The legal system has come under increasing threat. The opposition MDC has repeatedly attempted to use the legal system to challenge the ruling ZANU-PF, but the courts rulings, often in favour of the MDC, have regularly been ignored by the police.
Currently, politics in Zimbabwe match the description by Jackson & Rosberg (1984; "Personal rule: theory and practice in Africa",Comparative Politics 16 (4)) of an autocratic regime based on personal rule. The specific features are: conspiratorial politics replacing democratic elections; a high incidence of clientilism and rivalry for the leader's favours; widespread corruption; purges or rehabilitations (as with Jonathan Moyo
) and succession manoeuvres within the party.
|Robert Mugabe
|Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front
|30 November 1987
|-
|Prime Minister
|Morgan Tsvangirai
|Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
|11 February 2009
|-
|Vice President
|Joice Mujuru
|Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front
|6 December 2004
|-
|Deputy Prime Minister
|Thokozani Khuphe
|Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
|11 February 2009
|-
|Deputy Prime Minister
|Arthur Mutambara
|Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara
|11 February 2009
|}
According to Zimbabwe's Constitution, the president is head of state and head of government and is elected for a 6-year term by popular majority vote. The Cabinet is appointed by the president and responsible to the House of Assembly.
s, 12 presidential appointees, eight presidentially appointed provincial governors, the Speaker, and the Attorney General
. It may serve for a maximum of five years.
The 2005 parliamentary elections
were held on March 31. While the African Union
reported no major irregularities, opposition figures such as Archbishop Pius Ncube
have made charges of vote rigging. Elections were held on a single day, not two or three as before. Translucent ballot boxes were used to prevent "stuffing," and counting was done at polling centers rather than at a single, central location.
At the time of the election it was suggested by one commentator that factionalism between different Shona-speaking
clans had increased. http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/ar/ar_ze_018_1_eng.txt
who, like the other justices, is appointed by the President on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. The Constitution has a Bill of Rights containing extensive protection of human rights. The Bill of Rights could not be amended for the first 10 years of independence except by unanimous vote of Parliament.
The Supreme Court is the highest court of order and the final court of appeal. The Chief Justice, Godfrey Chidyausiku
is the most senior judge. Others who sit on the bench of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe are Justice Paddington Garwe, former Judge President in the High Court, Justice Wilson Sandura, Justice Vernanda Ziyambi and Justice Luke Malaba.
The legal system is based on the Roman -Dutch law and has been influenced by the system of South-Africa .A five member Supreme Court , headed by the Chief -Justice has original jurisdiction over alleged violations of fundamental rights guaranteed in the constitution and appellate jurisdiction over other matters .There is a High Court consisting of general and appellate divisions .Below the High Court are regional magistrate's courts with civil jurisdiction and magistrate's courts with both civil and criminal jurisdiction over cases involving traditional law and custom. Beginning in 1981 , these courts were integrated into the national system.
, Districts of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is divided into eight provinces, each administered by a provincial governor appointed by the President. The provincial governor is assisted by the provincial administrator and representatives of several service ministries. The provinces are further divided into 63 districts.
AfDB
,
C
,
ECA,
FAO
,
G-15
,
G-77
,
IAEA
,
IBRD
,
ICAO
,
ICCt
(signatory),
ICFTU
,
ICRM
,
IDA
,
IFAD
,
IFC
,
IFRCS
,
ILO
,
IMF
,
Interpol,
IOC
,
IOM
,
ISO
,
ITU
,
NAM
,
OAU,
OPCW,
PCA
,
SADC
,
UN
,
UNCTAD
,
UNESCO,
UNIDO
,
UNMIK
,
UPU
,
WCL
,
WCO
,
WFTU
,
WHO
,
WIPO
,
WMO
,
WToO
,
WTrO
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential
Semi-presidential system
The semi-presidential system is a system of government in which a president and a prime minister are both active participants in the day-to-day administration of the state...
republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
, whereby the President is the head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
The Prime Minister of Zimbabwe is the head of government in Zimbabwe. From 1980 to 1987, Robert Mugabe was the first person to hold the position following independence from the United Kingdom. He took office when Rhodesia became the Republic of Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980...
is the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
. Executive power
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
is exercised by the government. Legislative power
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
is vested in both the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and parliament
Parliament of Zimbabwe
The Parliament of Zimbabwe consists of two chambers:*The Senate *The House of Assembly...
.
Political developments since the Lancaster House Agreement
The Zimbabwean ConstitutionConstitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, initially from the Lancaster House Agreement
Lancaster House Agreement
The negotiations which led to the Lancaster House Agreement brought independence to Rhodesia following Ian Smith’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965. The Agreement covered the Independence Constitution, pre-independence arrangements, and a ceasefire...
a few months before the 1980 elections
Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 1980
General elections were held in Southern Rhodesia in February 1980 in order to elect a government which would govern the country after it was granted independence as Zimbabwe, in accordance with the conclusions of the Lancaster House Agreement...
, chaired by Lord Carrington
Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington
Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, is a British Conservative politician. He served as British Foreign Secretary between 1979 and 1982 and as the sixth Secretary General of NATO from 1984 to 1988. He is the last surviving member of the Cabinets of both Harold Macmillan and Sir...
, institutionalizes majority rule and protection of minority rights. Since independence, the Constitution has been amended by the government to provide for:
- The abolition of seats reserved for whitesWhites in ZimbabweWhite Zimbabweans are people from the southern African country Zimbabwe who identify themselves as white...
in the country's Parliament in 1987; - The abolition of the office of Prime MinisterPrime Minister of ZimbabweThe Prime Minister of Zimbabwe is the head of government in Zimbabwe. From 1980 to 1987, Robert Mugabe was the first person to hold the position following independence from the United Kingdom. He took office when Rhodesia became the Republic of Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980...
in 1987 and the creation of an executive presidency; and - The abolition of the SenateSenate of ZimbabweThe Senate of Zimbabwe is the upper chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It existed from 1980 to 1989, and was re-introduced in November 2005....
in 1990 and the creation of appointed seats in the House of Assembly. A Senate was reintroduced in 2005.
The elected government controls senior appointments in the public service, including the military
Military of Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces are composed of the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air Force of Zimbabwe . As a landlocked country, Zimbabwe has no navy...
and police
Zimbabwe Republic Police
The Zimbabwe Republic Police is the national police force of Zimbabwe, known until July 1980 as the British South Africa Police. -Structure:...
, and ensures that appointments at lower levels are made on an equitable basis by the independent Public Service Commission
Civil Service Commission
-Chairmen:*John Houghton MHK, 2004-date*George Waft MLC, 1996-2004*Clare Christian MLC, 1981-1982*Noel Cringle MLC, 1992-1996*Walter Gilbey, years unknown...
.
ZANU-PF Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
, elected Prime Minister in 1980, revised the constitution in 1987 to make himself President. President Mugabe's affiliated party won every election from independence on April 18, 1980, until it lost the parliamentary elections in March 2008
Zimbabwean presidential election, 2008
The Republic of Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on 29 March 2008. The three major candidates were incumbent President Robert Mugabe of the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front , Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change , and...
to the Movement for Democratic Change
Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...
. In some quarters corruption and rigging elections have been alleged. In particular the elections of 1990 were nationally and internationally condemned as being rigged, with the second-placed party, Edgar Tekere
Edgar Tekere
Edgar Zivanai Tekere was a Zimbabwean politician. He was a president of the Zimbabwe African National Union who organised the party during the Lancaster House talks and served in government before his popularity as a potential rival to Robert Mugabe caused their...
's Zimbabwe Unity Movement, winning only 20% of the vote. Presidential elections were held in 2002
Zimbabwean presidential election, 2002
A presidential election was held in Zimbabwe between 9 and 11 March 2002. The election was contested by the incumbent Robert Mugabe, Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, ZANU-Ndonga leader Wilson Kumbula, Shakespeare Maya of the National Alliance for Good Governance and...
amid allegations of vote-rigging, intimidation
Intimidation
Intimidation is intentional behavior "which would cause a person of ordinary sensibilities" fear of injury or harm. It's not necessary to prove that the behavior was so violent as to cause terror or that the victim was actually frightened.Criminal threatening is the crime of intentionally or...
, and fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
and also in March 2008.
Ethnic rivalry between the Shona
Shona people
Shona is the name collectively given to two groups of people in the east and southwest of Zimbabwe, north eastern Botswana and southern Mozambique.-Shona Regional Classification:...
and Ndebele
Ndebele people (Zimbabwe)
The Ndebele are a branch of the Zulus who split from King Shaka in the early 1820s under the leadership of Mzilikazi, a former general in Shaka's army....
has played a large part in Zimbabwe's politics, a consequence of the country's borders defined by its British colonial rulers. This continued after independence in 1980, during the Gukurahundi
Gukurahundi
The Gukurahundi refers to the suppression by Zimbabwe's 5th Brigade in the predominantly Ndebele regions of Zimbabwe most of whom were supporters of Joshua Nkomo. A few hundred disgruntled former ZIPRA combatants waged armed banditry against the civilians in Matabeleland, and destroyed government...
wars in Matabeleland
Matabeleland
Modern day Matabeleland is a region in Zimbabwe divided into three provinces: Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South. These provinces are in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. The region is named after its inhabitants, the Ndebele people...
in the 1980s. This led to the political merger of Joshua Nkomo
Joshua Nkomo
Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo was the leader and founder of the Zimbabwe African People's Union and a member of the Kalanga tribe...
's Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU)
Zimbabwe African People's Union
The Zimbabwe African People's Union was a militant organization and political party that fought for the national liberation of Zimbabwe from its founding in 1961 until it merged with the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front in December 1987....
with the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU)
Zimbabwe African National Union
The Zimbabwe African National Union was a militant organization that fought against the standing government in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union...
to form ZANU-PF and the appointment of Nkomo as Vice President
Vice President of Zimbabwe
- List 1st Vice President of Zimbabwe :- List 2nd Vice President of Zimbabwe :...
.
During the course of 2005, with the Mugabe's future in question, factionalism within the Shona
Shona people
Shona is the name collectively given to two groups of people in the east and southwest of Zimbabwe, north eastern Botswana and southern Mozambique.-Shona Regional Classification:...
has increased. http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/ar/ar_ze_018_1_eng.txt
In October 2005 it was alleged that members of the ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition MDC have held secret meetings in London and Washington to discuss plans for a new Zimbabwe after Robert Mugabe. http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-zimbabwe/end_mugabe_2926.jsp
On February 6, 2007, Mugabe orchestrated a Cabinet reshuffle, ousting ministers including 5-year veteran Minister of Finance Herbert Murerwa
Herbert Murerwa
Herbert Muchemwa Murerwa is a Zimbabwean politician. He served as the Minister of Finance in the Government of Zimbabwe from 1996 to 2000, from August 2002 to February 2004, and again from April 26, 2004 to February 6, 2007...
.
Crisis in democracy and the rule of law in Zimbabwean politics
The hallmarks of democracy may be viewed (Diamond, L., et al., 1988. Democracy in developing countries Vol. II. Boulder, CO.: Lynne Rienner) as:- Competition between organised parties for government power
- Political responsiveness to the general public, exercised as a result of free and fair elections
- Civil and political liberty
Since the defeat of the constitutional referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in 2000, politics in Zimbabwe have been marked by slow regression away from many of the norms of democratic governance, such as democratic elections; the independence of the judiciary; the rule of law; freedom from racial discrimination; the existence of independent media, civil society and academia. Recent years have seen widespread violations of human rights
Human rights in Zimbabwe
There are widespread reports of systematic and escalating violations of human rights in Zimbabwe under the Mugabe administration and his party, ZANU-PF....
.
Instead, ensuing elections have been marked by political violence and intimidation, along with the politicisation of the judiciary, military
Zimbabwe National Army
The Zimbabwe National Army is the land warfare branch of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. The ZNA currently has an active duty strength of 30,000.-History:...
, police force
Zimbabwe Republic Police
The Zimbabwe Republic Police is the national police force of Zimbabwe, known until July 1980 as the British South Africa Police. -Structure:...
and public service. Statements by the President and government politicians have referred to a state of war, or Chimurenga
Chimurenga
Chimurenga is a Shona word for 'revolutionary struggle'. The word's modern interpretation has been extended to describe a struggle for human rights, political dignity and social justice, specifically used for the African insurrections against British colonial rule 1896–1897 and the guerrilla war...
, against the opposition political parties, in particular the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...
(MDC-T). Independent newspapers have been bombed and closed down, members of the judiciary have been arrested and threatened. Repressive laws aimed at preventing freedoms of speech, assembly and association have been implemented and subjectively enforced. Opposition members of parliament are routinely arrested and harassed, and a number have suffered torture or jail terms. The legal system has come under increasing threat. The opposition MDC has repeatedly attempted to use the legal system to challenge the ruling ZANU-PF, but the courts rulings, often in favour of the MDC, have regularly been ignored by the police.
Currently, politics in Zimbabwe match the description by Jackson & Rosberg (1984; "Personal rule: theory and practice in Africa",Comparative Politics 16 (4)) of an autocratic regime based on personal rule. The specific features are: conspiratorial politics replacing democratic elections; a high incidence of clientilism and rivalry for the leader's favours; widespread corruption; purges or rehabilitations (as with Jonathan Moyo
Jonathan Moyo
Jonathan Nathaniel Moyo is a controversial political figure in Zimbabwe. He was Minister of Information from 2000 to 2005 and is currently a Member of Parliament. He is considered the core architect of AIPPA and POSA....
) and succession manoeuvres within the party.
Executive branch
|President|Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
|Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front
|30 November 1987
|-
|Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
The Prime Minister of Zimbabwe is the head of government in Zimbabwe. From 1980 to 1987, Robert Mugabe was the first person to hold the position following independence from the United Kingdom. He took office when Rhodesia became the Republic of Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980...
|Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. He is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai and a key figure in the opposition to President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on 11 February 2009...
|Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...
|11 February 2009
|-
|Vice President
Vice President of Zimbabwe
- List 1st Vice President of Zimbabwe :- List 2nd Vice President of Zimbabwe :...
|Joice Mujuru
|Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front
|6 December 2004
|-
|Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
The Deputy Prime Minister is a position of Zimbabwe's government created through the deal arising out of political negotiations in 2008.Per the deal, there are three designated deputy prime ministers as of 2008: Arthur Mutambara of a faction of the MDC and two others yet to be named who are members...
|Thokozani Khuphe
Thokozani Khuphe
Thokozani Khuphe is a Zimbabwean politician and the Vice-President of the Movement for Democratic Change . She has been Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe since 11 February 2009, and she is a senior Member of Parliament for Makokoba constituency.In 2005 she was elected Vice President of theMovement...
|Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...
|11 February 2009
|-
|Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
The Deputy Prime Minister is a position of Zimbabwe's government created through the deal arising out of political negotiations in 2008.Per the deal, there are three designated deputy prime ministers as of 2008: Arthur Mutambara of a faction of the MDC and two others yet to be named who are members...
|Arthur Mutambara
Arthur Mutambara
Arthur Guseni Oliver Mutambara is a Zimbabwean politician. He became the President of the Movement for Democratic Change-Mutambara faction in February 2006. He has worked as the Managing Director and CEO of Africa Technology and Business Institute since September 2003...
|Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara
Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara
The Movement for Democratic Change — Mutambara is a Zimbabwean political party led by Welshman Ncube.-Foundation:The Movement for Democratic Change was founded in 1999 as an opposition party to the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front party led by President Robert Mugabe...
|11 February 2009
|}
According to Zimbabwe's Constitution, the president is head of state and head of government and is elected for a 6-year term by popular majority vote. The Cabinet is appointed by the president and responsible to the House of Assembly.
Legislative branch
Parliament (formerly known as the House of Assembly) has 120 members elected by the common-roll electorate, 10 tribal chiefTribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
s, 12 presidential appointees, eight presidentially appointed provincial governors, the Speaker, and the Attorney General
Attorney General of Zimbabwe
Attorney General of Zimbabwe is an office that falls under the Ministry of Justice of Zimbabwe.* Sobusa Gula-Ndebele served as Attorney General until December 15, 2007.* Bharat Patel served as acting Attorney General from May to December 2008....
. It may serve for a maximum of five years.
Political parties and elections
In June, 2004 the politburo announced that the March 2005 general elections would conform to election guidelines drawn up by the 14 member Southern Africa Development Community. Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede will no longer run elections, which will instead be overseen by a five member electoral commission whose chairman would be appointed by Mugabe.The 2005 parliamentary elections
Zimbabwe parliamentary elections, 2005
A parliamentary election was held in Zimbabwe on March 31, 2005 to elect members to the Zimbabwe House of Assembly. All of the 120 elected seats in the 150-seat House of Assembly were up for election. A parliamentary election was held in Zimbabwe on March 31, 2005 to elect members to the Zimbabwe...
were held on March 31. While the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
reported no major irregularities, opposition figures such as Archbishop Pius Ncube
Pius Ncube
His Grace the Most Reverend Dr. Pius Alick Mvundla Ncube served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, until he resigned on September 11, 2007...
have made charges of vote rigging. Elections were held on a single day, not two or three as before. Translucent ballot boxes were used to prevent "stuffing," and counting was done at polling centers rather than at a single, central location.
At the time of the election it was suggested by one commentator that factionalism between different Shona-speaking
Shona language
Shona is a Bantu language, native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia; the term is also used to identify peoples who speak one of the Shona language dialects: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Ndau and Korekore...
clans had increased. http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/ar/ar_ze_018_1_eng.txt
Judicial branch
The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme CourtSupreme Court of Zimbabwe
The Supreme Court of Zimbabwe is the highest court of order and the final court of appeal in Zimbabwe.The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who, like the other justices, is appointed by the President on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. The court consists of...
who, like the other justices, is appointed by the President on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. The Constitution has a Bill of Rights containing extensive protection of human rights. The Bill of Rights could not be amended for the first 10 years of independence except by unanimous vote of Parliament.
The Supreme Court is the highest court of order and the final court of appeal. The Chief Justice, Godfrey Chidyausiku
Godfrey Chidyausiku
Godfrey Guwa Chidyausiku is a Zimbabwean judge and former politician. He was involved in politics during Rhodesia's unilaterally declared independence, being a member of the Rhodesia House of Assembly...
is the most senior judge. Others who sit on the bench of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe are Justice Paddington Garwe, former Judge President in the High Court, Justice Wilson Sandura, Justice Vernanda Ziyambi and Justice Luke Malaba.
The legal system is based on the Roman -Dutch law and has been influenced by the system of South-Africa .A five member Supreme Court , headed by the Chief -Justice has original jurisdiction over alleged violations of fundamental rights guaranteed in the constitution and appellate jurisdiction over other matters .There is a High Court consisting of general and appellate divisions .Below the High Court are regional magistrate's courts with civil jurisdiction and magistrate's courts with both civil and criminal jurisdiction over cases involving traditional law and custom. Beginning in 1981 , these courts were integrated into the national system.
Administrative division
Main articles: Provinces of ZimbabweProvinces of Zimbabwe
|Zimbabwe is divided into 8 provinces and 2 cities with provincial status:-See also:*Districts of Zimbabwe*Municipalities of Zimbabwe*List of provincial governors of Zimbabwe*ISO 3166-2:ZW-External links:*...
, Districts of Zimbabwe
Districts of Zimbabwe
The provinces of Zimbabwe are divided into 59 districts and 1,200 municipalities. The districts are listed below, by province:-Bulawayo :* Bulawayo-Harare :* Harare-Manicaland Province:* Buhera* Chimanimani* Chipinge* Makoni* Mutare...
Zimbabwe is divided into eight provinces, each administered by a provincial governor appointed by the President. The provincial governor is assisted by the provincial administrator and representatives of several service ministries. The provinces are further divided into 63 districts.
International organization participation
ACP,AfDB
African Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group is a development bank established in 1964 with the intention of promoting economic and social development in Africa...
,
C
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
,
ECA,
FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
,
G-15
Group of 15
The Group of 15 was established at the Ninth Non-Aligned Movement Summit Meeting in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in September 1989.This informal forum was set up to foster cooperation and provide input for other international groups, such as the World Trade Organization and the Group of Eight...
,
G-77
Group of 77
The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has...
,
IAEA
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
,
IBRD
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of five institutions that compose the World Bank Group. The IBRD is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by World War II. Now, its mission has expanded to fight...
,
ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
,
ICCt
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
(signatory),
ICFTU
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions was an international trade union. It came into being on 7 December 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions , and was dissolved on 31 October 2006 when it merged with the World Confederation of Labour to form the...
,
ICRM
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
,
IDA
International Development Association
The International Development Association , is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. It complements the World Bank's other lending arm — the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — which serves middle-income countries with capital investment and...
,
IFAD
International Fund for Agricultural Development
The International Fund for Agricultural Development , a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries...
,
IFC
International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
,
IFRCS
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a humanitarian institution that is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the ICRC and 186 distinct National Societies...
,
ILO
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
,
IMF
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
,
Interpol,
IOC
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
,
IOM
International Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....
,
ISO
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
,
ITU
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
,
NAM
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
,
OAU,
OPCW,
PCA
Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...
,
SADC
Southern African Development Community
The Southern African Development Community is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 15 southern African states...
,
UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
,
UNCTAD
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
,
UNESCO,
UNIDO
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...
,
UNMIK
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo or UNMIK is the interim civilian administration in Kosovo, under the authority of the United Nations. The mission was established on 10 June 1999 by Security Council Resolution 1244...
,
UPU
Universal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...
,
WCL
World Confederation of Labour
The World Confederation of Labour was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe. Totalitarian governments of the 1930s repressed the federation and imprisoned many of its leaders, limiting operations until the end of World War II...
,
WCO
World Customs Organization
The World Customs Organization is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. With its worldwide membership, the WCO is recognized as the voice of the global customs community...
,
WFTU
World Federation of Trade Unions
The World Federation of Trade Unions was established in 1945 to replace the International Federation of Trade Unions. Its mission was to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations...
,
WHO
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
,
WIPO
World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....
,
WMO
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
,
WToO
World Tourism Organization
The World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information...
,
WTrO
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
External links
- Zimbabwe: Build on Revolution Legacy, Country Told All Africa, August 21 2009