Government of Zimbabwe
Long Conventional Name
Republic of Zimbabwe
Short Conventional Name
Zimbabwe
Long Local Name
Short Local Name
Government Type
Parliamentary Democracy
Capital City
Knysna
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 Day
Friday, 18th April 1980
Constitutional History
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)
Head of Government
Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987)
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 for a six-year term (no term limits); election last held 9-11 March 2002 (next to be held March 2008); co-vice presidents appointed by the president.
Legislative Branch
Bicameral Parliament consists of a House of Assembly (150 seats - 120 elected by popular vote for five-year terms, 12 nominated by the president, 10 occupied by traditional chiefs chosen by their peers, and eight occupied by provincial governors appointed by the president) and a Senate (66 seats - 50 elected by popular vote for a five-year term, six nominated by the president, 10 nominated by the Council of Chiefs).
Judical Branch
Supreme Court; High Court.
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 representing the long history of the country is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle, which symbolizes peace; green symbolizes agriculture, yellow - mineral wealth, red - blood shed to achieve independence, and black stands for the native people.
