Zimpapers Logo

Zvamaida Murwira
Senior Reporter
Parliament is saddled with more than 15 outstanding Bills as it prepares to resume sitting this year.

The Bills will add on to additional ones that Government Ministries might bring together when the legislative agenda for the Fifth Session of the Ninth Parliament is set.

According to records at Parliament, Five Bills were passed last year.

The small number of Bills passed was attributable to Covid-19 pandemic which saw a limited number of sittings.

The five Bills that sailed through Parliament are Constitutional Amendment Number 1 and 2 Bill, Centre for Education, Innovation, Research & Development Bill, Forest Amendment Bill and Data Protection Act.

The Constitutional Amendment Bill (Number 2) seeks to extend women’s quota, remove Clause on running mates, extend tenure of medically fit judges beyond 70 years and give impetus to Government’s devolution agenda.

The Data Protection Act seeks to deal with cyber-crime while the Centre for Education, Innovation, Research and Development Act which seeks to create a technology hub to harness and coordinate research and innovation in universities and to drive Zimbabwe’s modernisation and industrialisation in public and private sectors.

With new measures such as virtual platforms and use of radio programmes, Parliament is expected to deal with more Bills than last year.

Records at Parliament also showed that it received more than 30 Bills from the Executive in the past three years that were outlined by President Mnangagwa as he set out the legislative agendas while delivering the State of the Nation Address.

Some of the Bills that are still outstanding includes, Pension and Provident Fund Bill, Forest Amendment Bill, Zimbabwe Complaints Commission Bill, Public Finance and Management Amendment Bill, Provincial Councils and Administration Bill, Police Amendment Bill, Guardianship of Minors Amendment Bill, Health Services Amendment Bill, Copper Amendment Bill, Labour Amendment Bill, among others.

Of the outstanding Bills, there is the Marriages Amendment Bill that has not only been unresolved for long, but has been one of the most controversial one in Senate.

The Marriages Amendment Bill has been in Parliament for almost a year as parties have been haggling over a clause that stipulates that bride price could not be used as a barrier in solemnising customary unions by two consenting adults who satisfy all other legal requirements, putting customary unions on the same level as civil unions where lobola is not a requirement.

That clause has been fiercely resisted by the senator chiefs who feel that lobola payment is the hallmark of any valid customary marriage.

The Provincial Councils Amendment Bill, when it comes into law, will further implement Government’s devolution agenda, which has already transformed the country, with development projects either completed or at various stages of completion.

It is also part of Government’s efforts to align with the Constitution.

There is also the Private Voluntary Organisation Amendment Bill gazetted recently which drew a lot of criticism mainly from civic society and opposition parties.

The amendment seeks to prohibit any private voluntary organisation from supporting or opposing any political party or candidate in a presidential, parliamentary or local government election.

There are also Bills that were mentioned in President Mnangagwa’s speech when set out the legislative agenda while officially opening the Fourth Session of the Ninth Parliament where he alluded to more than 20 Bills most of whom are still to be tabled.

Some of them include Medical Services Amendment Bill, the Medical Aid Societies Bill, and the Health Professions Amendment Bill which envisages a consolidated legislative strategy to achieve Universal Health Coverage, enhanced access and affordable health services

Others are the Amendment of the State Universities Statutes Bill, which seeks to amend the Acts governing the 13 State Universities, the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act, the Deposit Protection Corporation Amendment Bill, among others.