Ziyambi moves to speed up passage of the PVO Amendment Bill #StopThePVOBill
Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has moved to speed up passage of the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill by suspending provisions of Standing Order 142 (1).
Standing Order 142(1) requires ordinary Bills bill to published in the Gazette at least 14 days before being introduced in Parliament. Constitutional Bills on the other hand take about 90 days after gazetting to be introduced in Parliament
Gazetting is a process of putting a Bill in the public domain and this is done through the Government Gazette.
Minister Ziyambi told the National Assembly that his move will help Parliament to meet the legislative agenda targets.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa in his legislative agenda indicated that the PVO Bill must be dealt with in the first quarter.
Ziyambi said, ‘’I seek leave of the House to move that the provisions of Standing Order, Number 142 (1) which states that every Bill other than a constitutional Bill must be published in the Gazette 14 days before it is introduced in the National Assembly in respect of the following Bills:- Private Voluntary Organisation Bill, Administration of Estates Amendment Bill and Criminal Laws, that is Protection of Children and Young Persons Bill. I so move.
‘’There are about two or three reasons why I am seeking leave to have the House suspend this provision so that we can bring the Bills. The first one, the Private Voluntary Organisation Bill was before the august House and there are minor amendments. So, I am seeking that it comes because it was before the House before the expiration of the last Parliament. The Administration of the Estates Amendment Bill deals with the office of the Master.
‘’There are a lot of issues that are urgent and we need this House to consider that Bill as well as the Criminal Laws Amendment. There is a gap in using the Presidential powers. However, over and above that Mr. Speaker Sir, we do not have Bills that the House is dealing with and we believe that if we cut on that time and introduce the Bill, the Committees can then start doing their work, the public hearings and we can then have a lot of activities within the House.
‘’That will enable us to meet the targets as per the legislative agenda that was brought to Parliament by His Excellency. So, I am moving that we reduce the days the Bills have been gazetted, we bring them for First Reading and then Parliament can start interrogating the Bills. I so submit,’’ he said.
Ziyambi moves to speed up passage of the PVO Amendment Bill
