This Week in Parliament

Both Houses of Parliament adjourned last week and will resume sitting tomorrow.  In this Bill Watch we shall outline the business they are expected to deal with, but please bear the following points in mind:

• When the National Assembly and the Senate adjourn, they set down all outstanding business on their Order Papers (i.e. their agendas) for the next appropriate sitting day.  There is usually too much to be covered in one day, so whatever is not dealt with is postponed to the next appropriate day.
• Both Houses of Parliament can change the order in which they consider business.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Tuesday 1st April

Bills to be dealt with

Three Bills are due to be dealt with by the Assembly:

• Medical Services Amendment Bill [link]

This Bill is due to be presented.

• Parks and Wild Life Amendment Bill [link]

The Second Reading of this Bill is due to continue.

• Persons with Disabilities Bill [link]

This Bill is due to begin its Committee Stage.  Extensive amendments are proposed to the Bill.

International agreements to be approved

The Assembly will be asked to approve:

• the African Charter on Statistics, signed in Addis Ababa on the 4th February 2009
• an agreement to establish the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.

Portfolio Committee reports

Reports to be considered for adoption by the Assembly will cover the following topics:

• Projects being carried out by Verify Engineering and the National Biotechnology Authority
• Gender-based violence
• The Civil Aviation Authority’s financial statements for 2020
• The establishment of a cement plant in Magunje area
• The 2022 financial statements of Hurungwe Rural District Council
• The 2021 and 2022 financial statements of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority
• Implementation of the digitisation project in Zimbabwe
• The state of the electricity supply in Zimbabwe
• Non-communicable diseases, including cancer
• Meagre pension pay-outs by NSSA

Petition to be considered

• A petition on lack of piped water supply in Harare and Glenview

Motions on the National Assembly order paper

Motions set to be debated by the Assembly will include the following topics:

• Setting aside zones for vendors, registration of vendors and prohibition against seizure of their wares
• An open data portal for public institutions and State agencies
• Skin-lightening products
• The establishment of a national institute of ideology
• Urging the promotion of community share ownership schemes in all constituencies
• Urging the Government to promote sign language
• Urging the Ministry of Finance to ensure that the Women’s Micro Finance Bank fulfils its mandate and to enable women to meet collateral requirements
• Urging improvement in digital infrastructure, in schools and throughout the country
• Reservation of 30 per cent of government tenders for youth-led enterprises
• Protection of indigenous herbal trees against over-exploitation
• Measures to boost internet connectivity and improve digital infrastructure
• Reply to the President’s speech.

Wednesday 2nd April

Questions set down for answer

Among questions set down for Ministers to answer in the National Assembly on Wednesday 2nd April are questions on the following issues:

• Reopening of the Cold Storage Commission and payments to its former employees
• Compensation for former farm workers displaced during the fast-track land resettlement programme
• Completion of the Gwai-Tshangane dam to supply water to Matabeleland
• Government policy on new title deeds for farmers
• Reopening the Bindura Nickel Mine
• Liquidation of the Commercial Farmers’ Union stake in Kuvimba Mining House
• The ban on the importation of 10-year-old motor vehicles
• Collection of sports levies by local authorities
• The amount of AIDS levy raised in 2024 and how it was expended
• How the IMTT collected from mobile transactions was used
• The proposed sale of the POSB to Hebrew Investment Group
• Payments to pensioners affected by dollarisation in 2009
• Settlements of debts owed by the Government to its contractors
• The shareholding of the Hwange Colliery Company
• Delays in the delivery of judgments, particularly the High Court
• Conferring city status of Chitungwiza Municipality
• Modernising the curricula at vocational training centres
• Progress on rehabilitating various roads, including the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road
• Licensing of religious radio stations
• Marketing Zimbabwe locally, regionally and internationally
• School drop-outs in 2024
• Payment of ZIMSEC markers and moderators for the 2024 examinations
• Registration of private schools and salaries payable at them
• Police barring Members of Parliament from holding feedback meetings in their constituencies
• Maternal mortality in Zimbabwe
• The cost of blood transfusions
• The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in 2024
• Protection of the local sugar industry
• Resuscitation of ZISCO Steel and Lancashire Steel
• Plans to promote ease of doing business in Zimbabwe
• Retrenchments of employees at Hippo Valley and Triangle
• Payment of teachers for monitoring ZIMSEC’s 2024 examinations
• The number of students who have benefited from national and presidential scholarships since 2018
• Assisting graduates to get work-related experience
• Payment of university fees in US dollars rather than ZIGs
• A mining project in Matabeleland South entailing the mass relocation of villagers
• Whether there is a comprehensive geological report on minerals in Zimbabwe

SENATE

Tuesday 1st April

Bill to be considered

Debate on the Second Reading of the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill [link] will resume.

International agreement to be approved

The Senate will be asked to approve an agreement to establish the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.

Report of Constitutional Commission to be considered

The Senate will be asked to continue debating the report of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission for 2023.

Thematic Committee reports to be considered

• The Senate will be asked to adopt reports on:
• The traditional court systems
• The impact of climate change on human-wildlife conflict
• Drug and substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation centres

Motions to be dealt with by the Senate

The Senate is expected to debate motions on the following topics:

• Congratulation to Dr Coventry on becoming IOC President
• Motion of condolence on the death of Senator Chimutengwende
• Expanding irrigation and other measures to combat climate change
• Expanding access to safe abortion services
• Protection of constitutional gender rights
• The condition of sports stadiums in Zimbabwe
• Recapitalisation of public health care institutions and ensuring they are supplied with medicines
• Support for livestock farmers
• Supply of ethanol and blending of fuel
• Production of illegal alcoholic beverages
• Reply to the President’s speech

Thursday 3rd April

Questions set down for answer

Among questions for Ministers to answer in the Senate on Thursday are questions on the following issues:

• A cholera outbreak in Kariba
• Plans to prevent the construction of illegal structures
• The pensionable age for employees of local authorities
• Use of technology to improve service delivery
• The establishment of the parole board, mandated by the Prisons and Correctional Services Act.

Note: For the latest Status of Bills see [link]

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied.