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President of the Republic of Zimbabwe
Presidential Standard
Incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa since 24 November 2017
Style	His Excellency (Formal, in international correspondence) Comrade President (Informal)
Residence	State House
Appointer	popular vote
Term length	5 years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Canaan Banana
Formation	18 April 1980; 44 years ago (1980-04-18)
Deputy	Vice-President of Zimbabwe
Salary	US$200,000 (2014)
Website	www.theopc.gov.zw

Politics of Zimbabwe
Constitution Constitutional history Human rights
Government President Emmerson Mnangagwa Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga Kembo Mohadi Cabinet
Legislature Parliament Senate President National Assembly Speaker Constituencies
Judiciary Supreme Court
Elections General 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2008 2013 2018 2023 Referendums 2000 2013 Electoral Commission Political parties
Administrative divisions Provinces Districts Wards
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister: Frederick Shava Diplomatic missions of / in Zimbabwe Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
v t e

The president of Zimbabwe is the head of state of Zimbabwe and head of the executive branch of the government of Zimbabwe. The president chairs the national cabinet and is the chief commanding authority of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

The incumbent president is Emmerson Mnangagwa, installed on 24 November 2017 after his predecessor, Robert Mugabe resigned in the aftermath of 2017 coup d'etat.

Constitution of Zimbabwe

The Constitution of Zimbabwe is the supreme law of Zimbabwe. The independence constitution of 1980 was the result of the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement and is sometimes called the Lancaster ConstitutionA proposed constitution, drafted by a constitutional convention, was defeated by a constitutional referendum during 2000.

In practice, the 2008 power-sharing deal provided the structure for much of the government. The three political parties in Zimbabwe, ZANU-PF, MDC-T and MDC-N negotiated a new proposed constitution after a constitutional outreach program. The new constitution was approved in the referendum of 16 March 2013.The parliament approved it on 9 May 2013. Some of the new constitution's clauses do not take effect for 10 years.

Presidential succession

Sch 6, par 14 of the Constitution states: - "Special provision for election and tenure of first President and appointment of Vice-Presidents"

1. andidates for election as President do not nominate persons to stand for election as Vice-Presidents."

Without delay the person elected as President must appoint not more than two Vice-Presidents, who hold office at his or her pleasure." - in other words, the President can dismiss the Vice-Presidents. one Vice-President is appointed in terms of subparagraph , that person is the first Vice-President for the purposes of this Constitution; two Vice-Presidents are appointed in terms of subparagraph .the President may from time to time nominate one of them to act as President whenever he or she is absent from Zimbabwe or is unable exercise his or her official functions through illness or any other cause." Subject to subparagraphs (5) and (6), if the person elected President ... dies, resigns or is removed from office-- the Vice-President or, where there are two Vice-Presidents, the Vice-President who was last nominated to act in terms of subparagraph (3)(b), acts as President until a new President assumes office in terms of subparagraph (5); and

1. 1. b. the vacancy in the office of President must be filled by a nominee of the political party which the President represented when he or she stood for election.

A political party which is entitled to nominate a person in terms of subparagraph (4)(b) must notify the Speaker of the nominee's name within ninety days after the vacancy occurred in the office of President, and thereupon the nominee assumes office as President after taking the oath of President ..., which oath the nominee must take within forty-eight hours after the Speaker was notified of his or her name." Section 97 of the Constitution states (NB references to Vice-Presidents omitted, as they currently serve at the President's pleasure): - "Removal of President from office The Senate and the National Assembly, by a joint resolution passed by at least one-half of their total membership, may resolve that the question whether or not the President ... should be removed from office for— (a) serious misconduct;

1. 1. (b) failure to obey, uphold or defend this Constitution;

(c) wilful violation of this Constitution; or (d) inability to perform the functions of the office because of physical or mental incapacity; should be investigated in terms of this section." "Upon the passing of a resolution in terms of subsection (1), the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders must appoint a joint committee of the Senate and the National Assembly consisting of nine members reflecting the political composition of Parliament, to investigate the removal from office of the President ..." (a) the joint committee appointed in terms of subsection (2) recommends the removal from office of the President ...; and (b) the Senate and the National Assembly, by a joint resolution passed by at least two-thirds of their total membership, resolve that the President ... should be removed from office; the President ... thereupon ceases to hold office."

History of the office

The office of the president of Zimbabwe was established in 1980, when the country gained independence from the United Kingdom. Per the Lancaster House Agreement, Zimbabwe was originally a parliamentary republic, with the president serving in mostly a ceremonial role. Real power was vested in the prime minister, Robert Mugabe.

A Methodist minister, Canaan Banana, became the first president, serving until 1987. He resigned in 1987 shortly after the Constitution was amended to make the presidency an executive post, and the office of Prime Minister was abolished. Mugabe was appointed to succeed him, and was elected in his own right in 1990 and four more times thereafter.

The office of Prime Minister was restored as a result of the 2008–09 political negotiations, but abolished again following the 2013 constitutional referendum. Under the rules adopted by the same referendum, the president serves a maximum of two five-year terms. This did not have a retroactive effect on past terms of office already served or currently being served as of 2013.

2017 coup d'état and Mugabe's resignation

On 14 November 2017, armed military personnel from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces invaded the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation studios in Harare before Major General Sibusiso Moyo came out on a live television broadcast declaring that the army had activated an operation that would later be known as "Operation Restore Legacy." Moyo stated that President Mugabe and his family would be safe and their security would be guaranteed, as the operation was only targeting criminals around him. What followed thereafter was a well-planned and carefully executed crackdown on members of a faction within the ruling ZANU-PF party known as G40. The Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Central Intelligence Organisation, both deemed loyal to the president, were neutralised by the army, which arrested some of their top leaders.

On 21 November 2017, facing all-but certain impeachment from a combined session of the House of Assembly and Senate, Mugabe resigned as president. Former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in as his replacement on 24 November 2017.

Presidents of Zimbabwe

Latest election

Mnangagwa ran for re-election in 2018 as the ZANU–PF candidate. Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the main opposition party MDC-T, had died earlier in the year and been replaced by Nelson Chamisa. Chamisa ran as the MDC Alliance candidate against Mnangagwa. Mnangagwa was re-elected without the need for a runoff, winning 50.8% of the vote to Chamisa's 44.3%. The election result was disputed by the MDC Alliance.

See also

• List of heads of state of Zimbabwe
• Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
• Vice President of Zimbabwe
• President of Rhodesia
• President of Zimbabwe Rhodesia

References

1. ^ "Zimbabweans hope for democratic rebirth". BBC News. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
2. Gumbo, Lloyd (22 April 2014). "President reveals monthly salary". The Herald. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
3. Allison, Simon (26 March 2013). "Even Zimbabwe's constitution waits for Mugabe to pass the baton, or pass away". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
4. "Zanu-PF reveals Mnangagwa as 2018 presidential candidate". The Zimbabwean. AFP. 19 November 2017.

v t e Presidents of Zimbabwe and its antecedents
Rhodesia (1965–1979, an unrecognised state)	Clifford Dupont Henry Everard* John Wrathall Henry Everard* Jack Pithey* Henry Everard*
Zimbabwe Rhodesia (1979, an unrecognised state)	Josiah Zion Gumede
Zimbabwe (since 1980, a recognised state)	Canaan Banana Robert Mugabe Emmerson Mnangagwa
*Acting President

• Presidents by country
• Heads of government of Zimbabwe
• Presidents of Zimbabwe
• Lists of political office-holders in Zimbabwe
• 1980 establishments in Zimbabwe