National Assembly of Zimbabwe explained

National Assembly of Zimbabwe
Legislature:10th Parliament of Zimbabwe
Coa Pic:Logo of the Parliament of Zimbabwe.png
Coa Res:140px
House Type:Lower house
Body:Parliament of Zimbabwe
Preceded By:Parliament of Rhodesia
New Session:4 September 2023
Term Limits:None
Leader1 Type:Speaker
Leader1:Jacob Mudenda
Party1:ZANU-PF
Leader2 Type:Deputy Speaker
Leader2:Tsitsi Gezi
Party2:ZANU-PF
Leader3 Type:Clerk
Leader3:Kennedy Mugove Chokuda
Election1:22 August 2013
Members:280
Structure1:File:Zimbabwe House of Assembly.svg
Structure1 Res:300px
Political Groups1:
Government (192)
  • ZANU-PF (192)
    Opposition (87)
  • CCC (87)
    Vacant seats (1)
  • Vacant (1)
    Presiding officer (1)
  • Speaker (1)
  • Last Election1:23 August 2023
    Term Length:Five years
    Next Election1:No later than 5 August 2028
    Redistricting:Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, in consultation with the President and Parliament
    Session Room:House of Assembly of Zimbabwe Chamber.jpg
    Meeting Place:National Assembly Chamber
    Parliament House
    Harare
    Zimbabwe
    Session Room2:File:New Parliament of Zimbabwe.png
    Meeting Place2:National Assembly Chamber
    New Zimbabwe Parliament Building
    Mount Hampden
    Zimbabwe
    Voting System1:Parallel voting

    The National Assembly of Zimbabwe, previously the House of Assembly until 2013, is the lower house of the Parliament of Zimbabwe. It was established upon Zimbabwe's independence in 1980 as one of two chambers of parliament. Between the abolition of the Senate in 1989 and its reestablishment in 2005, the House of Assembly was the sole chamber of parliament.

    Since the 2023 election, the National Assembly has had 280 members. Of these, 210 are elected in single-member constituencies. 60 seats are reserved for women, and are elected by proportional representation in 10 six-seat constituencies based on the country's provinces. The last 10 seats are reserved for youth and are also elected through proportional representation in 10 one-seat constituencies based on the provinces as well.[1]

    Jacob Mudenda has been Speaker of the National Assembly since September 2013.

    History

    Under the 1980 Constitution, 20 of the 100 seats in the House of Assembly were reserved for the country's white minority, although whites and other ethnic minorities made up only 5% of the population at the time. These seats were abolished by constitutional amendment in 1987.[2] This size of 100 seats was used for two elections, the 1980 election held immediately before independence and the 1985 election. The 1990 election was the first election after the abolition of the white-reserved seats, and also expanded the House of Assembly to 120 seats, a size which was retained for the 1995 and 2000 elections.

    With the 2005 election, the House of Assembly was expanded to 150 members. 120 members were directly elected in single member constituencies using the plurality (or first-past-the-post) system. The President appointed twelve additional members and eight provincial governors who held reserved seats in the House. The remaining ten seats were held by traditional chiefs who were chosen by their peers. All members served five-year terms.

    Following the 2008 election, the House of Assembly was expanded to 210 seats and composed entirely of elected representatives.[3] The appointed and ex officio members were transferred to the Senate. The Seventh House of Assembly was opened on August 26, 2008. The additional system of 60 seats reserved for women was established for the 2013 election. An additional 10 seats - one for each Province - reserved for a youth quota was established for the 2023 election.

    See also

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Preliminary Statement: Zimbabwe Harmonised Elections 2023 – Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) . 2023-11-07 . en-US.
    2. https://web.archive.org/web/20151025173016/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-06-24/news/mn-6348_1_white-seats Zimbabwe Moves to Limit Whites' Role : Legislation Prepared to End a Guarantee of Parliament Seats
    3. Carole Gombakomba, "Zimbabwe's Mugabe Finalizes Constitutional Amendment On Elections", VOA News, November 1, 2007.