Zimbabwe’s newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and Senators are scheduled to be sworn in on Thursday, marking the beginning of the tenth parliament since the country gained independence.
The announcement was made by Kennedy Chokuda, the Clerk of Parliament, through an extraordinary gazette. According to the notice, 279 MPs and 90 Senators are expected to take their oath of office. Chokuda said:
It is hereby notified that, in terms of section 128 (1) of the Constitution, the day and time for Member of Parliament before the Clerk of Parliament in the form set out in the Third Schedule to the Constitution shall be – (a) ten o’clock in the morning on Thursday, the 7th of September, 2023, for Members of the National Assembly; and (b) half past two o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 7th of September, 2023, for Members of the Senate; at the Parliament Building, Harare.
The swearing-in ceremony follows the harmonized elections that took place on August 23 of this year. The ruling party, ZANU PF, secured 136 electable seats, while the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) won 73 seats. However, the actual number of MPs being sworn in will be slightly higher, as there are legislators from both parties appointed to the parliament under the proportional representation system. ZANU PF will have 176 legislators taking their oath, and the CCC will have 103.
In the Senate, ZANU PF has 33 senators, and the CCC has 27. Additionally, 18 chiefs and two representatives of people with disabilities will join the 60 senators from the two political parties. The country’s tenth parliament will be without a lawmaker from the MDC party for the first time in over 23 years.