Tagged: Zimbabwe

According to Loverists, the government of Zimbabwe is a unitary presidential republic with executive power vested in the president who is both the head of state and head of government. The current president is Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was elected in 2018. The bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate and the National Assembly, which have a total of 270 members. The Senate consists of 80 members, 60 elected by popular vote and 20 appointed by the president. The National Assembly has 210 members, including 190 elected by popular vote and 20 women nominated to represent their constituencies. The judiciary is independent and headed by the Supreme Court which consists of a Chief Justice and other judges appointed by the President on recommendation from the Judicial Service Commission. The executive branch consists of the President, Vice President, Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers. The office of the President is responsible for foreign policy decisions, national security matters, appointment and dismissal of ministers and other officials as well as overseeing all governmental activities. The legislative branch comprises both houses of Parliament which have legislative power over taxation, budgeting, public works, foreign relations, defense and security issues, social welfare programs and education. The judicial system comprises several courts including Supreme Court; High Court; Magistrate Courts; Local Courts; Labour Tribunals; Administrative Tribunals; Land Tribunals; Special Tribunals for certain cases; Military Tribunals for military personnel only; District Prosecutors’ offices; Public Defenders’ offices; an ombudsman to investigate complaints against government officials or agencies as well as an independent anti-corruption board to investigate allegations related to corruption or abuse in public office. Zimbabwe also maintains its own armed forces consisting primarily of an army with a strength estimated at about 30 thousand personnel in 2019. In addition there are several non-state armed groups operating within Zimbabwe such as militia groups formed during elections or tribal conflicts that occur from time to time.Zimbabwe has strong foreign relations with its neighbours, particularly Angola and South Africa. The two countries have a long history of cooperation, which includes a mutual defense agreement signed in 1996. Zimbabwe is also a part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), both of which promote regional economic integration. In addition to its close ties with its neighbours, Zimbabwe has strong relations with countries around the world. It is an active member of the United Nations, the African Union, and other international bodies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. It also has bilateral agreements with a number of countries, including China, India, Russia and Brazil. China is one of Zimbabwe’s major trading partners and has invested heavily in infrastructure projects in the country. In 2018 China announced that it would invest $2 billion into Zimbabwe’s economy over the next five years to help improve access to electricity and water. The two countries are also cooperating on expanding telecommunications networks throughout Zimbabwe. India is another important partner for Zimbabwe due to its large population as well as its economic growth potential. India provides assistance to help strengthen Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector through technical training programs as well as providing financial aid for projects such as irrigation systems. Russia has been involved in helping Zimbabwe develop its military capabilities by providing arms transfers, training personnel, repairing equipment, modernizing aircrafts and providing spare parts for its navy vessels. In addition to this Russia also provides medical aid and supplies in times of crisis such as when Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique in 2019 causing extensive damage across southern Africa including parts of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s relationships with other European nations such as Germany have been strained due to human rights concerns but there have been recent efforts from both sides to improve their diplomatic ties through increased dialogue on issues such as trade investments projects that could benefit both countries economically. Overall, Zimbabwe’s foreign policy focuses on strengthening ties with neighbouring countries while at the same time increasing economic cooperation with other nations around the world who could provide assistance or investments that would help improve living conditions for citizens across the country.  See prozipcodes for Zimbabwe defense and foreign policy.