According to Zimbabwe's Constitution, the president is head of state and ahead of government elected for a 6-year term by popular majority vote. Parliament consists of the House of Assembly and has up to a 5-year life span. The House of Assembly has 120 members elected by the common-roll electorate, eight governors, 10 chiefs, 12 presidential appointees, the Speaker, and the Attorney General.

The Zimbabwean Constitution institutionalizes majority rule and protection of minority rights. The elected government controls senior appointments in the public service, including the military and police, and insures that appointments at lower levels are made on an equitable basis by the independent Public Service Commission.

The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who like the other justices is appointed by the President on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. The Constitution has a bill of rights containing considerable protection of human rights. The bill of rights could not be amended for the first 10 years of freedom except by unanimous vote of the House of Assembly.

Zimbabwe is separated into eight provinces, each administered by a provincial governor appointed by the president. The provincial governor is assisted by the provincial administrator and representatives of several service ministries. Zimbabwe is governed by President Robert Mugabe and his Zimbabwean African National Union--Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), which has controlled the legislative and administrator branches since freedom in 1980.