By Advent Shoko | ZiGoats
18 August 2026
HARARE — President Emmerson Mnangagwa has named businessman and ZANU PF Central Committee member Kudakwashe Tagwirei among 10 people set to take up newly created Senate seats under Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 (CAA3).
The nominations, announced in Parliament on Tuesday, give Mnangagwa a new constitutional power to appoint 10 senators based on their professional skills and competencies.
Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda told the National Assembly that the President had consulted the House before making the nominations.
“After consultation with the National Assembly, I have to inform the House that His Excellency, the President, is desirous of appointing the following as Senators,” Mudenda said.
The announcement marks the first use of the new Senate appointment provision since CAA3 became law in July.
Who are the 10 nominees?
The 10 people named by Mnangagwa are:
- Kudakwashe Tagwirei
- Jabulani Sibanda
- Godwills Masimirembwa
- Mary Mliswa
- Nokuthula Matsikenyere
- Lucy Chitaga
- Retired Major-General Gibson Mashingaidze
- Makhosini Hlongwane
- Brilliant Dube
- Irene Mutumba
Mudenda said the nominees had been selected for their “professional skills and other competencies.”
Tagwirei’s nomination is likely to attract the most attention because of his growing political profile.
The businessman joined ZANU PF’s Central Committee last year and has also served as a presidential adviser. His move into the Senate further links his business, political and advisory roles.
Senate expanded from 80 to 90
CAA3 increased Zimbabwe’s Senate from 80 to 90 members, with the additional 10 seats reserved for presidential appointees.
The amended Constitution provides that the 10 senators must be chosen for their professional skills and competencies, after consultation with the National Assembly.
Government has argued that the change is intended to bring additional expertise into Parliament and strengthen its legislative and oversight work.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi previously defended the provision, saying the additional senators would enhance Parliament’s capacity.
“Over and above that, the Senate will now have 10 senators appointed for their expertise, which will enhance the overall work of Parliament,” Ziyambi said.
But critics have raised concerns about the concentration of executive influence inside Parliament, particularly because the President now has a direct hand in selecting 10 members of the upper chamber.
During parliamentary debate on CAA3, some legislators argued that allowing the Executive to appoint members of the legislature could weaken parliamentary independence and accountability.
A major constitutional change
The Senate appointments are part of a much wider package of changes introduced through CAA3.
The legislation increased the terms of office for the President and Parliament from five years to seven years, changed the process for filling a presidential vacancy and created a new Delimitation Commission, among other reforms.
CAA3 also shifts responsibility for voter registration and maintenance of the voters’ roll to the Registrar-General’s Office.
The constitutional changes have been politically divisive, with opposition parties and civic groups raising concerns about the impact of several provisions on Zimbabwe’s democratic institutions.
The bill nevertheless passed Parliament in July, with the National Assembly and Senate approving it before Mnangagwa signed it into law.
Tagwirei’s political rise
For Tagwirei, the Senate nomination represents another significant step in a rapid political rise.
Once known primarily as a businessman, he has increasingly become a prominent figure around the ruling ZANU PF establishment. His appointment to the party’s Central Committee last year and subsequent role as a presidential adviser placed him firmly inside the country’s political establishment.
His nomination as a senator now gives him a formal position within Parliament.
The development is therefore likely to fuel further debate over the relationship between business, political power and the country’s governing structures.
Opposition reaction
The appointment of some of the nominees has also triggered criticism from opposition figures.
Lawyer Thabani Mpofu, who has represented opposition politicians and the MDC Alliance, reacted sharply to the nomination of Brilliant Dube, writing:
“If I can summon the emotional strength, I will write an article titled ‘Dube: The Treacherous Workhorse.’”
Mpofu did not provide further detail in the comment, while wider claims circulating on social media about Dube’s political history and alleged links to state structures could not be independently verified and are therefore not presented here as fact.
Dube has been working with the opposition including Nelson Chamisa and recently was part of the Tendai Biti-led Constitutional Defenders Forum (CDF) which opposed CAB3. For some, her appointment signify the depth of infiltration of the opposition by the ruling party.
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