Harare,(New Ziana) -President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called on the Tenth Parliament to make concerted efforts to conclude
five outstanding Bills being carried over from the previous one.
Speaking during the official opening of the First Session of the 10th
Parliament of Zimbabwe at its new building in Mt Hampden, President
Mnangagwa urged the legislators, who were ushered in by the August 23
and 24 harmonised elections, to also ensure obsolete laws were repealed.
These include the Fredrick Clayton Trust Act, the Service of Documents
Act, Settled Estates Leasing Act and the War Marriages Validation Act
New Bills which will constitute the business of the First Session
include the Persons with Disabilities Bill and the Administration of
Estates Amendment Bill.
Others include the Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to
streamline the registration process for foreign legal practitioners, the
Inheritance and Succession Laws (General Amendment) Bill, which aligns
inheritance and succession laws to the Constitution and international
best practice.
“The Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, Public Finance Management
Amendment Bill, Medical Services Amendment Bill, Insurance Bill and the
Private Voluntary Organisation Bill, which were outstanding from the
Ninth Parliament, must be concluded during the First Session of this
Parliament,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said the Second Republic is also committed to open up the airwaves to
allow more broadcasters and as a result, Parliament should expedite the
Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill and to speed up amendments to the
Zimbabwe Media Commission Act.
To give impetus to matters related to climate change adaptation and
resilience, the Tenth Parliament should also review the Water Act, the
Zimbabwe National Water Authority Act and the Plant Breeders Act.
“The much-anticipated Climate Change Bill, which seeks to regulate
greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate low carbon development
technologies should be thoroughly debated towards strengthening
appropriate institutions and funding mechanisms,” said President
Mnangagwa.
As cases of human wildlife conflict continue to hog the limelight in the
country, the government is setting up a Human Wildlife Conflict Relief
Fund to provide monetary benefits to victims of human wildlife conflict
in communities.
For the Second Republic to fully exploit, value add and beneficiate the
country’s abundant natural resources, President Mnangagwa urged
Parliament to expedite the consideration of the Competition Amendment
Bill, Economic Empowerment Bill, Standards Bill, Sugar Production
Amendment Bill and the Technical Regulations Bill.
Turning to the issue of housing delivery in the country, President
Mnangagwa said his government is committed to providing modern and
affordable human settlements for all citizens, adding that the Zimbabwe
Construction Contractors Council Bill has been crafted to establish an
authority that will bring sanity in the built environment.
Parliament, he said, is expected to consider the alignment of the
Housing Standards Control Act and the Housing and Buildings Act.
The Medical Aid Societies Regulatory Authority, Health Professions Act,
Family Planning Council Act and the Medicines and Allied Substances
Control Act will be brought before the August House in an effort to
decentralise service delivery, including deployment of medical
specialists to provincial and district hospitals.
“The enactment of the National Health Insurance Bill must be expedited
to accelerate the establishment of the National Health Insurance Scheme
towards Universal Health Coverage,” said President Mnangagwa.
New Ziana
