By Fanuel Chinowaita
MUTARE, August 18, 2026 — Former Manicaland Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Nokuthula Matsikenyere has been appointed to the Senate as one of 10 nominees selected by President Emmerson Mnangagwa under Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 (CAA3).
The appointment, announced in Parliament today by Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda, places Matsikenyere in Zimbabwe’s upper house alongside a group of prominent political, business and military figures.
Mudenda said the President had recommended the 10 nominees on the basis of their professional skills, competencies and other qualifications provided for under the amended constitutional framework.
Matsikenyere previously served as Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Manicaland, where she was responsible for coordinating government programs, development initiatives and devolution projects in the province.
Her appointment to the Senate now shifts her role from provincial executive administration to the national legislature, where she will participate in debates and legislative processes in the upper house.
For Manicaland, her appointment brings a politician with previous experience in provincial administration into the Senate, potentially giving her a platform to contribute to national policy debates affecting the province and other parts of the country.
Matsikenyere wass also the ZANU-PF legislator for Chimanimani West.
She was appointed alongside businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, former ZANU-PF national chairman Jabulani Sibanda, former Cabinet minister Makhosini Hlongwane and retired Major-General Gibson Mashingaidze.
The other appointees are Mary Mliswa, Godwills Masimirembwa, Lucy Chitaga, Brilliant Dube and Irene Mutumba.
The appointments follow Parliament’s adoption of Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3, which introduced changes to the composition of the Senate and provides for the appointment of senators based on professional skills, competencies and other qualifications.
The latest appointments expand the number of political and professional figures entering the upper house through the new constitutional provisions.
For Matsikenyere, the move marks a return to the national legislative arena after her tenure as Manicaland’s provincial minister and represents a new phase in her political career.
Her appointment also comes at a time when Manicaland continues to face major development questions around infrastructure, investment, devolution, service delivery and economic development — issues that have featured prominently in provincial and national government programs.
The 10 nominees are expected to take up their Senate roles following the completion of the constitutional and parliamentary procedures governing their appointments.