By a Correspondent
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei and nine other prominent figures to Zimbabwe’s Senate following the enactment of Constitutional Amendment No. 3, which expanded the Upper House by 10 presidentially appointed senators.
The appointments were announced in Parliament on Tuesday by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, marking the first use of the new constitutional provision that allows the President to appoint additional senators on the basis of professional skills and other competencies.
The amendment changes the composition of the Senate from 80 to 90 members by providing for 10 senators appointed directly by the President. The provision was contained in the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill passed by Parliament before it became law.
Tagwirei, one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent businessmen with interests in sectors including energy, mining and logistics, is the most high-profile name among the appointments.
His entry into Parliament represents a significant shift from his role as a leading private-sector figure to a formal position within the country’s legislative system.
The other appointees are former war veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda; former Manicaland provincial affairs minister Nokuthula Matsikenyere; former Mashonaland West Minister of State Mary Mliswa; lawyer and veteran Zanu PF official Godknows Masimirembwa; retired senior military officer General Gibson Mashingaidze; former sports minister Makhosini Hlongwane; political administrator Lucy Chitanga; community leader and administrator Brilliant Dube; and public administrator Irene Mutumbwa.
The appointments bring a mixture of business, political, military, legal and administrative experience into the expanded Upper House.
The newly appointed senators are expected to take their seats following the completion of the required parliamentary procedures and oath-taking.
