Ministers blamed, as National Assembly restore lapsed Bills

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Ministers blamed, as National Assembly restore lapsed Bills
Ministers blamed, as National Assembly restore lapsed Bills

Ministers blamed, as National Assembly restore lapsed Bills

Parliament of Zimbabwe has voted to restore about five Bills that had lapsed with the end of the Third Session of the 9th Parliament of Zimbabwe.

The five Bills will be restored to the National Assembly Order Paper at the stage they were when they lapsed.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi moved the motion for the restoration of the Bills.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Ziyambi said ‘’I now move that the following Bills which were superseded by the end of the Third Session of the 9th Parliament be restored on the Order Paper at the stages that they had reached:

‘’(i) Zimbabwe Independent Complaints Commission Bill [H. B. 5, 2020]; (ii) Police Amendment Bill [H. B. 2, 2021], (iii) Copper Control Amendment Bill [H. B. 3, 2021], (iv) Public Finance Amendment Bill [H. B. 4, 2021] and (v) Guardian of Minors Amendment Bill [H. B. 7, 2021]. I so submit Mr Speaker Sir,’’ he said.

The National Assembly could not finish the Bills in the third session due to COVID-19 effects.

COVID-19 which was first recorded in Zimbabwe in March 2021, saw the government imposing lockdowns and curfews that prevented citizens from going about their work.

The same lockdowns saw Parliament adjourning in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.

Ministers sleeping on duty

However, commenting on the issue in the National Assembly, Norton Legislator Temba Mliswa blamed the ministers who are always out

‘’On a point of order Mr Speaker Sir! These are five Bills that are from the Third Session of the Ninth Parliament, and we are at the Fourth. 

‘’What was the reason for them not to have been seen through? Is that not evidence that the Ministers were not here to do it and they were sleeping on duty? Maybe the Leader of Government Business, since he is really determined to defend them, can tell us why the Bills did not see the end of the Third Parliament?

‘’They lapsed to show that there was nobody pushing them. So where was he to tell them to push them according to his mandate? It is important for him to tell us because we cannot continue having a situation where we are pushing Bills; we have more important things to do.

‘’The President, in his State of the Nation Address was very clear. So, an explanation from the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is sought in that regard,’’ he said. 

Ministers blamed, as National Assembly restore lapsed Bills