Source: Parliament reviews 12 Bills – herald
Farirai Machivenyika
Parliament is moving through an unusually heavy legislative agenda, with 12 Bills at various stages of debate and another three awaiting gazetting before being introduced, according to the legislature’s latest update.
Lawmakers are on a two-and-a-half-week recess following commemorations of Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day, and the presentation of the Mid-Term Budget Review by Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube on July 31.
Parliament will resume sitting on August 19.
Among the high-profile proposals is the Persons with Disabilities Bill, now before the National Assembly, which would enshrine constitutional protections for people living with disabilities.
The Parks and Wildlife Amendment Bill seeks to require the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) to involve communities near conservation areas in both wildlife protection and commercial ventures, and to establish a fund to compensate victims of human-wildlife conflict.
Health reforms are also on the docket, with the Medical Services Amendment Bill at Second Reading stage.
The Bill aims to align the sector with constitutional guarantees on healthcare access.
It would prohibit private hospitals from raising service charges without Government approval and require them to admit patients with life-threatening conditions for at least 48 hours without upfront payment.
The Insurance and Pensions Commission Amendment Bill would place medical aid societies under the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC)’s oversight and create a policyholder and pension protection fund.
The State Services (Pensions) Bill, currently with the Parliamentary Legal Committee, would centralise pension management for state employees and allow the fund to build assets so pensions could be paid from investment returns, in line with International Labour Organisation standards on social security.
The Mines and Minerals Bill, which will replace the Mines and Minerals Act, returns to Parliament more than three decades after first being introduced.
A version passed in 2018 was rejected by President Mnangagwa over concerns it infringed on property rights by giving miners precedence over farmers where minerals were found on agricultural land.
The Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council Amendment Bill seeks to bolster the integrity of public examinations with harsher penalties for cheating.
Other Bills before lawmakers include amendments to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, the Pipelines Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Public Service Act and the Tourism Act.
Three more Bills are awaiting gazetting: the Climate Change Management Bill, the Biological and Toxin Crimes Bill and the Postal and Telecommunications Amendment Bill.
Zanu PF chief whip Cde Pupurai Togarepi acknowledged what he called “a great improvement” in the pace at which legislation is reaching Parliament this year, while noting continued capacity constraints in the Attorney-General’s Office.
“Whilst we are mindful of the challenges in the Attorney-General’s Office regarding shortages of drafters, since the First Session we have consistently been engaging the Executive on the rate at which Bills were coming.
“I am pleased to say that beginning this year, we have witnessed a great improvement. As you rightly pointed out, 12 Bills are currently at various stages before Parliament. We hope we will be able to dispose of these and some more coming before we get to the end of year.”
Some Ministries have attributed some delays in drafting the laws on a shortage of drafters, prompting recommendations that the Government outsource drafting work while retaining supervision within the AG’s office.
“There is a likelihood that Government has pursued this direction and we have seen a number of Bills coming before Parliament,” said Cde Togarepi.
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