Two applicants have filed a challenge in Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent appointment of 10 non-elected senators. The filers, citizen Thamsanqa Ncube and the civic organization Ibhetshu LikaZulu, allege the appointments violate constitutional provisions and are seeking a court order to prevent the nominees from being sworn into office.
The legal action, submitted to the country’s highest court, centers on the interpretation of constitutional requirements for the 10 seats appointed directly by the president. According to the court filing, the applicants contend that these positions are designated for individuals selected based on professional expertise and independence from political parties.
The application argues that the individuals appointed by President Mnangagwa are predominantly politicians with known affiliations to the ruling ZANU-PF party. The filers maintain this contravenes the intended purpose of these specific Senate seats, which they state is to bring specialized knowledge and diverse perspectives to the Upper House of Parliament.
In their submission, Ncube and Ibhetshu LikaZulu have requested an urgent hearing. The primary objective of their request is to secure an interim order that would block the named appointees from taking their oaths of office. Such an order would effectively pause their entry into the Senate until the Constitutional Court can deliver a final judgment on the legality of the appointments.
Zimbabwe’s Senate is an 80-member body. Sixty senators are elected through a party-list proportional representation system. The remaining 20 seats are reserved for non-elected members, including 18 traditional chiefs, two representatives for people with disabilities, and the 10 members appointed by the president that are the subject of the current legal dispute.
As of the time of reporting, representatives for President Mnangagwa and the government of Zimbabwe have not released a public statement regarding the court challenge. The Constitutional Court has not yet announced a date to hear the application.
