Prime Minister of Zimbabwe

The Prime Minister of Zimbabwe is the head of government in Zimbabwe. From 1980 to 1987, Robert Mugabe was the first person to hold the position following independence from the United Kingdom. He took office when Rhodesia became the Republic of Zimbabwe on April 17, 1980. This position was abolished when the constitution was amended in 1987 and Mugabe became President of Zimbabwe, both the head of state and the head of government.

Restoration of office

Main article: 2008 Zimbabwean political negotiations

In the wake of the electoral violence and controversy surrounding the 2008 presidential election and later run-off, negotiations between Mugabe's ZANU-PF and rival candidate Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC led to a power-sharing agreement in September 2008, providing for the restoration of the office of Prime Minister. The post will hold executive powers, but not the full executive powers it held during the 1980s. For instance, the prime minister will chair the cabinet and be head of government, but the president will remain head of the cabinet; in addition, the prime minister will sit in the Joint Operations Command, alongside the heads of the armed forces, intelligence, and police. According to section 20.1.8 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (No. 19) Amendment, the Prime Minister, Vice-Presidents and Deputy Prime Ministers become ex officio members of the House of Assembly without needing to represent parliamentary constituencies, and the party of a constituency-based MP who concurrently serves in any of the above offices holds the right to nominate non-constituency members to such offices.

Prime Minister of Zimbabwe (1980–present)

Name	Term start	Term end	Political Party
Robert Mugabe	18 April 1980	31 December 1987	Zimbabwe African National Union
Post abolished	31 December 1987	11 February 2009	—
Morgan Tsvangirai	11 February 2009	Incumbent	Movement for Democratic Change