Short facts about the government of Zimbabwe
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short
form: Zimbabwe
former: Southern Rhodesia,
Rhodesia |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary
democracy |
| Administrative divisions: |
8 provinces and 2 cities* with
provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central,
Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland
South, Midlands |
| Independence: |
18 April 1980 (from
UK) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 18 April
(1980) |
| Constitution: |
21 December
1979 |
| Legal
system: |
mixture of Roman-Dutch and English
common law |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987);
Co-Vice Presidents Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987) and Joseph
MSIKA (since 23 December 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government
head of government: Executive President
Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Co-Vice Presidents Simon Vengai
MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987) and Joseph MSIKA (since 23 December 1999); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president;
responsible to the House of Assembly
elections: presidential
candidates nominated with a nomination paper signed by at least 10 registered
voters (at least one from each province) and elected by popular vote; election
last held 16-17 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2002); co-vice presidents
appointed by the president
election results: Robert Gabriel
MUGABE reelected president; percent of electoral college vote - Robert Gabriel
MUGABE 92.7%, Abel MUZOREWA 4.8%; Ndabaningi SITHOLE
2.4% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral parliament, called House of
Assembly (150 seats - 120 elected by popular vote for six-year terms, 12
nominated by the president, 10 occupied by traditional chiefs chosen by their
peers, and 8 occupied by provincial governors)
elections: last
held 24-25 June 2000 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results:
percent of vote by party - ZANU-PF 47.2%, MDC 45.6%, ZANU-Ndonga 0.7%, United
Parties 0.7%; seats by party - ZANU-PF 63, MDC 56, ZANU-Ndonga
1 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court; High
Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Movement for Democratic Change or MDC
[Morgan TSVANGIRAI]; Popular Democratic Front or PDF [Austin CHAKAODZA]; United
Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga or ZANU-Ndonga
[Ndabaningi SITHOLE]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF
[Robert MUGABE]; Zimbabwe Unity Movement or ZUM [Edgar
TEKERE] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
National Constitutional Assembly or
NCA |
| International organization participation: |
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Simbi Veke MUBAKO
chancery: 1608 New
Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202)
332-7100
FAX: [1] (202)
483-9326 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs Earl M.
IRVING
embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue,
Harare
mailing address: P. O. Box 3340,
Harare
telephone: [263] (4) 250-593
FAX: [263] (4)
796487 |
| Flag
description: |
seven equal horizontal bands of green,
yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged
in black with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird is superimposed
on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle | Source: World Factbook |
