Coming up in Parliament – Bill Watch 54 / 2019

Both the Senate and the National Assembly Resume Sittings Today

Note:  The President has declared Friday 25th October a public holiday to allow Zimbabweans to attend solidarity against sanctions on Zimbabwe events.

Coming up in Parliament

The Second Session of this Parliament – the Ninth Parliament of Parliament [and second Parliament under the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe] was officially opened by President Mnangagwa on Tuesday 1st October at a joint sitting of both Houses.  The President delivered a State of the Nation address during which he outlined the Government’s legislative agenda for the session.  After the joint sitting both Houses reconvened briefly before adjourning until today.  

MPs have not, however, been idle in the interim – they have been attending committee meetings and engaging members of the public at public consultations on Bills and the forthcoming 2020 National Budget.  Yesterday they attended a pre-Budget briefing in preparation for their coming labours on the 2020 National Budget – including the detailed pre-Budget Seminar at Victoria Falls scheduled for 30th October to 4th November.

The presentation of the 2020 Budget by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development will be on Thursday 14th November. 

Today’s agenda

As today’s sittings will be the first working sittings of the new session and as all unfinished business of the First Session, including uncompleted Bills, lapsed at the end of that session, the agenda for this afternoon’s sittings is very brief.  It is the same in each House: the moving of the customary beginning-of-session motions expressing loyalty to Zimbabwe and respectful thanks to the President for the speech that he delivered when opening the new session on 1st October.

Upcoming Business

Unfinished business from the last session it is likely that motions will be put, and approved, that Bills be restored to the Order Paper at the stage reached in the last session:

  • Education Amendment Bill
  • Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency Bill
  • Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Amendment Bill
  • Coroner’s Office Bill
  • Marriages Bill

New Business, for example, tabling of three recently gazetted Bills so that they can go for consideration by the Parliamentary Legal Committee:

  • Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill
  • International Treaties Bill
  • Constitutional Court Bill

The Government’s Legislative Agenda for the Second Session

Twenty-six Bills were listed by the President in the Government’s legislative agenda for this session.  We have divided the list into the following parts and indicated the Bills that have already been gazetted or are awaiting gazetting, having been sent to the Government Printer for printing and gazetting:

Bills repeated from the legislative agenda for the First Session

  1. High Court Amendment Bill
  2. Public Finance Management Amendment Bill
  3. Gold Trade Amendment Bill
  4. Precious Stones Trade Amendment Bill
  5. Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill
  6. Freedom of Information Bill [already gazetted]
  7. Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill [already gazetted]
  8. Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill
  9. Cyber Crime and Cyber Security Bill [awaiting gazetting]
  10. Data Protection and Electronic Transactions Bill
  11. Child Justice Bill
  12. Mandatory Sentencing for Rape and Sexual Offences Bill
  13. Immigration Bill.

Bills appearing on the legislative agenda for the first time

14.    Labour Court Bill
15.    Magistrates Court Amendment Bill
16.    Police Bill
17.    Insurance and Pensions Commission Amendment Bill
18.    Pension and Provident Funds Amendment Bill
19.    Securities and Exchange Commission Bill
20.    Deposit Protection Corporation Amendment Bill
21.    Competition Amendment Bill
22.    Petroleum Amendment Bill
23.    Medical Aid Societies Bill
24.    Persons with Disabilities Bill
25.    Private Voluntary Organisations Bill
26.    Prisons and Correctional Services Bill

Source: Veritas 

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