Political Leaders: Zimbabwe

Leaders of Zimbabwe
(Republic of Zimbabwe)

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Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at CIDOB website.

Note: The colony of Southern Rhodesia declared unilaterally the independence from Great Britain as Rhodesia on 11 Nov 1965, after being part of a Federation with Northern Rhodesia (then Zambia) and Nyasaland (then Malawi) from 1 Aug 1953 to 31 Dec 1963. The Republic was proclaimed on 2 Mar 1970. The Republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia existed from 1 June 1979 to 12 Dec 1979, when the country was returned to colonial status. The independent Republic of Zimbabwe was proclaimed on 17 Apr 1980.

Parties: ZANU: Zimbabwe African National Union - ZAPU: Zimbabwe African People's Union - ZANU-PF: Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (1987 merger of ZANU and ZAPU) - MDC: Movement for Democratic Change - MDC-T: Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai

Presidents of the Republic

Canaan Sodindo Banana     18 Apr 1980 - 31 Dec 1987 (†2003) ZANU
Robert Gabriel Mugabe     31 Dec 1987 - 21 Nov 2017 (†2019) ZANU-PF
Phelekezela Mphoko        21 Nov 2017 - 24 Nov 2017         ZANU-PF (acting)
Emmerson Mnangagwa        24 Nov 2017 -                     ZANU-PF

Vice Presidents of the Republic

First Vice Presidents
Simon Vengai Muzenda      31 Dec 1987 - 20 Sep 2003 (†2003) ZANU-PF
Joice Mujuru               6 Dec 2004 –  8 Dec 2014         ZANU-PF
Emmerson Mnangagwa        12 Dec 2014 -  6 Nov 2017         ZANU-PF

Second Vice Presidents
Joshua M. N. Nkomo        31 Dec 1987 -  1 Jul 1999 (†1999) ZANU-PF
Joseph Wilfred Msika      23 Dec 1999 -  4 Aug 2009 (†2009) ZANU-PF
John Landa Nkomo          13 Dec 2009 – 17 Jan 2013 (†2013) ZANU-PF
Phelekezela Mphoko        12 Dec 2014 - 27 Nov 2017         ZANU-PF

Co-Vice Presidents
Kembo Dugish Mohadi       28 Dec 2017 -  1 Mar 2021         ZANU-PF 
Constantino Chiwenga      28 Dec 2017 -                     ZANU-PF

Prime Ministers

Robert Gabriel Mugabe     18 Apr 1980 - 31 Dec 1987 (†2019) ZANU
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai 11 Feb 2009 - 11 Sep 2013 (†2018) MDC, MDC-T

Depuy Prime Minister

Simon Vengai Muzenda      18 Apr 1980 – 22 Dec 1987 (†2003) ZANU-PF

Presidents and First Secretaries of ZANU-PF

Robert Gabriel Mugabe     22 Dec 1987 - 19 Nov 2017 (†2019)
Emmerson Mnangagwa        19 Nov 2017 -

The ZANU-PF was born on 22 Dec 1987 from the merger of Robert Mugabe's ZANU and Joshua Nkomo's ZAPU.

Speakers of the House of Assembly

Didymus N. E. Mutasa      1980-1990          ZANU, ZANU-PF
Nolan Makombe             1990-1995          ZANU-PF
Cyril Ndebele             1995-2000          ZANU-PF
Emmerson Mnangagwa        2000-2005          ZANU-PF
John Landa Nkomo          2005-2008 ((†2013) ZANU-PF
Lovemore Moyo             2008-2013          MDC, MDC-T
Jacob Francis Mudenda     2013-              ZANU-PF

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