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The politics of Zimbabwe occurs in a society deeply divided along lines of race,ethnicity,gender and geography. The ZANU–PF party has historically been dominant in Zimbabwe politics. The party,which was led by Robert Mugabe from 1980 to 2017,has used the powers of the state to intimidate,imprison and otherwise hobble political opposition in Zimbabwe,as well as use state funds and state media to advance the interests of the party.
The Zimbabwe government consists of an elected head of state,the president,and a legislature. The presidential term lasts for 5 years,and is elected by majority,with a second round if no candidate receives a majority in the first round. The Parliament is bicameral,consisting of the House of Assembly and Senate. Following the 2013 constitution,the House of Assembly has 270 members. 210 are elected for five-year terms by single-member constituencies. Furthermore,the constitution specifies that for the two first parliaments,there are 60 additional seats reserved for women,6 seats per province,which are filled based on the votes for in the single-member constituencies,using party-list proportional representation,distributed using the largest remainder method and the hare quota. The Senate has 80 members:60 are elected for five-year terms in 6-member constituencies representing one of the 10 provinces,elected based on the votes in the lower house election,using party-list proportional representation,distributed using the hare quota. Additionally the senate consists of 2 seats for each non-metropolitan district of Zimbabwe elected by each provincial assembly of chiefs using SNTV,1 seat each for the president and deputy president of the National Council of Chiefs and 1 male and 1 female seat for people with disabilities elected on separate ballots using FPTP by an electoral college designated by the National Disability Board.
Nelson Chamisa is a Zimbabwean politician and the current President of the Citizens Coalition For Change. He served as Member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe for Kuwadzana East,Harare. Chamisa was the MDC Alliance's candidate for president in the 2018 general election,having previously been the leader of the party's youth assembly. He has served as the former chairperson of national youth for the same party as well as the Secretary for Information and Publicity for the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). In 2003,at the age of 25,Chamisa became the youngest Member of Parliament. Chamisa was also the youngest cabinet minister in Government of National Unity of Zimbabwe in 2009.
Bulawayo South is a constituency represented in the National Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe,located in Bulawayo. Its current MP since a 2023 by-election is Raj Modi of ZANU–PF. Notable former MPs for the constituency include Eddie Cross and David Coltart.
The Movement for Democratic Change –Tsvangirai (MDC–T) is a centre-left political party and was the main opposition party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe ahead of the 2018 elections. After the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005,the MDC–T remained the major opposition faction,while a smaller faction,the Movement for Democratic Change –Ncube,or MDC–N,was led by Welshman Ncube.
Zvimba East is a constituency represented the National Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe,located in Zvimba District in Mashonaland West Province. The seat is currently vacant following the November 2023 recall of Oliver Mutasa,the constituency's MP since the 2023 election. A by-election is scheduled to take place in February 2024.
Nicola Jane Watson is a Zimbabwean accountant and politician who served as a Member of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe from 2013 until 2023. She was first elected to one of the seats reserved for women,then as the MP for Bulawayo Central in 2018,before defeating the Zanu-PF incumbent Raj Modi in Bulawayo South in 2023.
Allan Norman "Rusty" Markham is a Zimbabwean farmer and politician who was elected to the National Assembly of Zimbabwe for Harare North in the 2018 general election as a member of the MDC Alliance. He crossed the floor to the newly formed Citizens Coalition for Change and was elected Member of Parliament for the neighbouring Harare East constituency in the 2023 general election.
The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is a Zimbabwean political party that is led by Nelson Chamisa. It was established on 22 January 2022 and was announced on 24 January 2022 at a press conference at Bronte Hotel in Harare.
General elections were held throughout Zimbabwe on 23 and 24 August 2023 to elect the president,legislators and councillors. The main race for presidential office was between two candidates of Karanga origin:ZANU–PF's Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and Citizens Coalition for Change's Nelson Chamisa. The voter rolls for the election increased to 6.5 million,up from 5.8 million in 2018.
Beitbridge West is a constituency represented in the National Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe,located in Beitbridge District in Matabeleland South Province. It is currently represented since a December 2023 by-election by Thusani Ndou of ZANU–PF.
Cowdray Park is a constituency of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe,located in the Cowdray Park suburb of Bulawayo. Created for the 2023 general election,it is represented since a December 2023 by-election by Arthur Mujeyi of ZANU–PF.
Judith Tobaiwa is a Zimbabwean politician who was elected to the National Assembly of Zimbabwe in a by-election on 26 March 2022. She represents Kwekwe Central as a member of the Citizens Coalition For Change.
By-elections were held in Zimbabwe on 11 November 2023 and 9 December 2023 and will be held again on 3 February 2024 to fill vacancies in the National Assembly and in local government. The by-elections were triggered by Sengezo Tshabangu,who claimed to be the interim Secretary-General of the Citizens Coalition for Change,when he recalled nine constituency legislators,six proportional representative women’s quota and senators and seventeen councilors mainly from Bulawayo,one of the party's strongholds.
Morgan Ncube is a Zimbabwean politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Beitbridge West as a member of the Citizens Coalition for Change between September and October 2023. He formerly served as the mayor of Beitbridge in Matabeleland South from 2018 to 2020 as a member of the MDC Alliance.
Ereck Gono is a Zimbabwean politician who was elected to the National Assembly of Zimbabwe in the 2023 general election for the constituency of Lobengula Magwegwe as a member of the Citizens Coalition for Change. On 3 October 2023,he and fourteen other CCC MPs were recalled as MPs following a letter by Sengezo Tshabangu,who claimed to be the interim Secretary-General of the party. Gono and other MPs disputed the cessation of their CCC party membership and registered to contest the by-elections in their constituencies on 9 December 2023. On 7 December 2023,two days before the by-elections,Gono and the other recalled MPs were barred from contesting the by-elections.
Munyaradzi Febion Kufahakutizwi is a Zimbabwean politician who served as the Member of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe for Mabvuku-Tafara between September and October 2023 as a member of the Citizens Coalition for Change.
Bright Vanya Moyo is a Zimbabwean politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Lupane East between September and October 2023 as a member of the Citizens Coalition for Change.
Desmond Makaza is a Zimbabwean politician who served as the Member of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe for Mpopoma-Mzilikazi from September to October 2023,as a member of the Citizens Coalition for Change.
References
- ↑ ZimSitRep_M (2023-10-10). "Parly declares 15 CCC seats vacant". Zimbabwe Situation. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ↑ Staff Reporter (2023-10-10). "CCC mulls 'revolution' and full withdrawal of MPs after 15 recalled". The Zimbabwe Mail. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ↑ Muronzi, Chris. "'Choiceless elections': Zimbabweans cry foul before bizarre by-elections". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-12-14.