New legislators sworn in

Harare (New Ziana) – Newly elected parliamentarians on Thursday took oath of office following the August 23 harmonised elections.

Ruling Zanu PF party and opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) lawmakers were sworn in despite earlier indications by the opposition that they rejected results of the poll totally.

Zanu PF won 136 parliamentary seats before getting an additional 33 out of the 60 women proportional representation seats and seven youth quota seats.

CCC won 73 seats and picked 27 from the Women’s Proportional representation and three youth seats.

A by-election in Gutu West constituency where one of the candidates passed on before polling day, will see the total number of National Assembly members coming to 280.

In the senate, Zanu PF has 33 senators and the CCC has 27.

The 60 senators from the two political parties will be joined by 18 chiefs and two representatives of people with disabilities.

Clerk of Parliament Kenneth Chokuda presided over the swearing in of the legislators who took oath in groups of ten at a time.

After taking their oaths, members of both houses are expected to elect their respective presiding officers on Friday.

Advocate Jacob Mudenda was the Speaker of the last Parliament, while Marble Chinomona was the Senate President.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa took the oath of office on September 4th.

New Ziana