Senate of Zimbabwe
Encyclopedia
The 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.
The original Senate consisted of 40 members, the majority of whom were elected by the House of Assembly
, the directly elected lower chamber, with the remainder being chosen by the Council of Chiefs and appointed by the President. Under the Lancaster House Agreement
, 20 per cent of seats in both chambers were reserved for whites
, until 1987. It was abolished by constitutional amendment
in 1989, with many Senators being appointed to the House of Assembly.
The current Senate, formed following elections held on 26 November 2005, has a total of 66 members. 50 members (5 from each province
) are directly elected in single member constituencies using the simple majority (or First-past-the-post
) system. The President appoints 6 additional members and the remaining 10 seats are held by traditional chiefs who are chosen in separate elections. Twenty-one women (20 elected and 1 appointed) occupy seats in the Senate. Edna Madzongwe
is the current Speaker
of the Senate.
Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 18 of 2007 provides for the expansion of the Senate to 93 seats: 6 (six) Senators from each province directly elected by voters registered in the 60 Senate constituencies; the 10 Provincial Governors appointed by the President; the president and deputy president of Council of Chiefs; 16 chiefs, being two chiefs from each province other than metropolitan provinces, and five Senators appointed by the President.
Parliament of Zimbabwe
The Parliament of Zimbabwe consists of two chambers:*The Senate *The House of Assembly...
. It existed from 1980 to 1989, and was re-introduced in November 2005.
The original Senate consisted of 40 members, the majority of whom were elected by the House of Assembly
House of Assembly of Zimbabwe
The House of Assembly of Zimbabwe is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It was the unicameral legislative body from 1989 until late November 2005, when the Senate was re-introduced....
, the directly elected lower chamber, with the remainder being chosen by the Council of Chiefs and appointed by the President. Under 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...
, 20 per cent of seats in both chambers were reserved for whites
Whites in Zimbabwe
White Zimbabweans are people from the southern African country Zimbabwe who identify themselves as white...
, until 1987. It was abolished by constitutional amendment
Constitutional amendment
A constitutional amendment is a formal change to the text of the written constitution of a nation or state.Most constitutions require that amendments cannot be enacted unless they have passed a special procedure that is more stringent than that required of ordinary legislation...
in 1989, with many Senators being appointed to the House of Assembly.
The current Senate, formed following elections held on 26 November 2005, has a total of 66 members. 50 members (5 from each province
Provinces 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:*...
) are directly elected in single member constituencies using the simple majority (or First-past-the-post
First-past-the-post
First-past-the-post voting refers to an election won by the candidate with the most votes. The winning potato candidate does not necessarily receive an absolute majority of all votes cast.-Overview:...
) system. The President appoints 6 additional members and the remaining 10 seats are held by traditional chiefs who are chosen in separate elections. Twenty-one women (20 elected and 1 appointed) occupy seats in the Senate. Edna Madzongwe
Edna Madzongwe
Edna Madzongwe is the President of the Senate of Zimbabwe. She was previously Deputy-Secretary for Production and Labor.She was elected to the presidency of the Senate on November 30, 2005...
is the current Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Senate.
Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 18 of 2007 provides for the expansion of the Senate to 93 seats: 6 (six) Senators from each province directly elected by voters registered in the 60 Senate constituencies; the 10 Provincial Governors appointed by the President; the president and deputy president of Council of Chiefs; 16 chiefs, being two chiefs from each province other than metropolitan provinces, and five Senators appointed by the President.
See also
- House of Assembly of ZimbabweHouse of Assembly of ZimbabweThe House of Assembly of Zimbabwe is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It was the unicameral legislative body from 1989 until late November 2005, when the Senate was re-introduced....
- the lower chamber of Parliament - History of ZimbabweHistory of ZimbabweAt the end of the Bush War there was a transition to majority rule in 1980. The United Kingdom ceremonially granted Zimbabwe independence on April 18, 1980 in accordance with the Lancaster House Agreement...
- Legislative Branch
- List of national legislatures
- List of Presidents of the Senate of Zimbabwe