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Chief Fortune Charumbira

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Chiefs will meet tomorrow in all the eight rural provinces to select 16 of them who will take up seats in the Senate as required by the new Constitution. The 16 will join Chiefs Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira and his deputy Chief Mtshana Khumalo who became the first Senators after being re-elected to their positions two weeks ago.

The meetings of the chief’s provincial assemblies will take place at various centres in the provincial capitals beginning at 10 am.
There will be two chiefs elected from each province.In Manicaland, the meeting will be held at the Chief’s Hall in Mutare, in Mashonaland Central the elections will be held at the New Government Buildings in Bindura, while in Mashonaland East the chiefs will meet at Mbuya Nehanda Hall in Marondera.

In Matabeleland North, the traditional leaders will convene at Chief’s Hall in Ntabazinduna, while in Matabeleland South and Midlands they will meet at Government Buildings in Gwanda and Chief’s Hall in Senga, Gweru, respectively.

The date for the election of the chiefs was proclaimed by President Mugabe in Statutory Instrument 86 of 2013 gazetted in June.
According to the new Constitution, the Senate will comprise of 80 members. From the 80, 60 will be selected from all the 10 provinces using a system of proportional representation, while the 16 will also take their positions in the House.

Chief Charumbira and his deputy Chief Khumalo will be ex-officio members of Senate.
Persons living with disabilities complete the list by providing two members to represent them in Senate.

Chief Fortune Charumbira and Chief Mtshana Khumalo have already been elected as senators after they were retained as president and deputy president of the Chiefs Council in June.