Source: President gazettes Senators’ appointment – herald
Farirai Machivenyika and Nyore Madzianike
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday gazetted the appointment of 10 Senators who took their oaths of office in line with requirements of Constitutional Amendment Act No.3 that the President signed into law in July.
The new constitutional provisions increase the size of the Senate from 80 members to 90, with the President empowered to appoint 10 more with the concurrence of the National Assembly.
President Mnangagwa gazetted the appointments under General Notice 1467A of 2026 published in an Extraordinary Government Gazette by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Martin Rushwaya.
“It is hereby notified, that His Excellency the President after consultations with the National Assembly has, in terms of section 120(1)(e) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, appointed the persons specified in the Schedule as Senators of the 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe with effect from the date of appointment,” Dr Rushwaya said.
The Senators took their oaths of office before the Clerk of Parliament, Mr Kennedy Chokuda.
The 10 Senators that were sworn-in yesterday are Jabulani Sibanda, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, Nokuthula Matsikenyere, Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Godwills Masimirembwa, Lucy Chitaga, Retired Major-General Gibson Mashingaidze, Makhosini Hlongwane, Brilliant Dube and Irene Mutumbwa.
Cde Sibanda is a former chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, a position he held for more than a decade and is currently Zanu PF Chairman for Bulawayo Province.
Cde Mliswa-Chikoka is a former legislator for Hurungwe West and made history by becoming the first woman to chair a Zanu PF structure by winning the Chairmanship of Mashonaland West Province.
Cde Matsikenyere is a former Provincial Affairs Minister for Manicaland Province while Cde Tagwirei is a renowned businessman and was recently coopted into the Zanu PF Central Committee.
Retired Major General Mashingaidze is a war veteran and a former senior Zimbabwe National Army officer.
Cde Hlongwane is a former Zanu PF legislator for Mberengwa East who served in Government as Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, while Ms Dube joined the party from the opposition, CCC.
Ms Mutumbwa and Ms Chitaga were also actively involved in politics before their appointments.
Speaking in separate interviews, some the new Senators thanked the President for their appointments.
Cde Tagwirei said he hoped to bring his business expertise to debate in Parliament.
“Firstly, I would like to thank His Excellency the President, Comrade Mnangagwa, for appointing me as a Senator when I least expected it. And secondly, I would like to say I come from the business fraternity and my expectation, or the expectation, obviously, is that I bring expertise into the House.
“I hope to bring that expertise into the Senate, into debate, so that we can grow the economy in line with Vision 2030, that we can be able to assist business, to be able to change the way that we do business, or to improve the way we do business from Senate, so that we can all be successful,” he said.
Ms Mutumbwa, who is a social worker said she hoped to bring her wealth of experience in fighting the scourge of drug abuse.
“I am so grateful and I have been working for years with some members of the Senate.
“There are a number of issues that have been happening, especially issues to do with drug abuse, mutoriro. I just hope and trust that I am going to work with others so as to continue creating awareness, workshops, and meeting people in communities targeting younger generations,” she said.
Cde Hlongwane thanked the President for the appointment.
“I am deeply and profoundly appreciative of the President having appointed me into the Senate.
“I have competences in areas of development policy, areas in media and development communication and will use that to enrich debate in the Senate,” Cde Hlongwane said.
Cde Masimirembwa said he would use his legal background to debate issues in the Senate.
“Having been lecturing law, my primary interest is in law development and research and you know the purpose of Parliament is to make laws for the good governance of the country.
“So, I think, His Excellency, his expectation will be to transform our Vision 2030 into legal instruments that will ensure that we achieve the middle-income society target by 2030,” he said.
Cde Mliswa-Chikoka said her appointment brought with it huge responsibilities.
“First of all, I really appreciate the appointment by His Excellency, President Mnangagwa, appointing me to the Senate, which of course brings a lot of responsibility, considering that we have to contribute to issues that are affecting people at the grassroots level and also being able to provide ideas and solutions and how some of the issues are supposed to be dealt with.
“I’m happy that I have a very vast experience now in issues of local governance, so even the issues that are affecting the people at the grassroots are things that I’m really passionate about because at the end of the day, we are supposed to be seen to be pushing such agendas as well as issues of environment and wildlife, things that I’m really passionate about considering that our country has a lot of that,” she said.
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