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Fidelis Munyoro Chief Court Reporter
President Mugabe has fixed September 15 as the date for the opening of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament. In a proclamation issued in the Government Gazette on Friday under Statutory Instrument 94/2015, President Mugabe acted in terms of the powers vested in him as resolved by Parliament on September 18 2013.

“I do hereby, by this proclamation fix Parliament Building, Harare as the place at which the official opening of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament of Zimbabwe shall be held; and 12 o’clock noon on Tuesday, September 15, 2015, as the time and date at which the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament shall begin,” said President Mugabe.

It is provided under Section 146 of the Constitution that each House of Parliament determines the time and duration of its sittings, other than the first sitting and its periods of recess.

The section also stipulates that the President may summon Parliament at any time to conduct business and no more than 180 days may elapse between sittings of a House.

Last week, Clerk of Parliament Mr Kennedy Chokuda told The Herald that President Mugabe would address both Houses at the occasion of official opening on September 15.

The speech, he said, would give the legislative agenda for Parliament to be followed for the coming Session.

The Second Session of the Eighth Parliament ended on August 25 with the Head of State and Government and Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces delivering his State of the Nation Address.

One of the major highlights of the Second Session was the passage of the Labour Amendment Act, which sought to put a stop to wanton sacking of staff on three months notice.