Online Reporter
Nyore Madzianike, [email protected]
THERE will be no secret ballot when Members of Parliament vote on the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill once it moves beyond the debate stage, with the Party Parliamentary System set to be used instead, Zanu-PF Secretary for Legal Affairs Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi has said.
Cde Ziyambi, who is also Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, explained that under this system, legislators are expected to vote along party lines. The House will be divided into two groups — those supporting the Bill and those opposing it.
Parliamentary officials will then openly count the votes once Members of Parliament have physically taken their positions on either side of the House.
The voting procedure was outlined during a Zanu-PF National Youth League Assembly meeting held in Harare on Wednesday.
Minister Ziyambi dismissed concerns that Members of Parliament could be bribed during the voting process, saying the system is transparent and leaves no room for such practices.
“There were people who were peddling lies about how Parliament works, with some saying MPs will be bribed since they will be the ones voting. There is nothing like that. In Zimbabwe we use what is called the Party Parliamentary System.
“If you refer to the Constitution, it says there is a party Chief Whip, who gives direction to his party, which MPs of that respective party will then follow. If there is voting in Parliament, there is what is called dividing the House.
“We will simply say those voting ‘Yes,’ go this side, and those voting ‘No,’ go this side. It is called a party democratic system.”
Minister Ziyambi said legislators would follow party directives when voting on the Bill.
“It is that system that we are going to use during the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill. We met with Members of Parliament this morning (Wednesday), where we were discussing the progress of the Bill and also going through all its clauses and making sure we are on the same page”.
He said following the gazetting of the Bill, Zanu-PF had embarked on a nationwide mobilisation exercise, which received positive feedback during public consultations.
Cde Ziyambi expressed satisfaction with the level of public participation, saying there had been an overwhelming response from citizens. He added that he had personally observed large numbers of submissions when he visited Parliament last week.
Parliament has since adjourned to allow for the sorting and collation of submissions gathered during public hearings. These will later be handed over to Parliamentary Committees for compilation into reports.
“I am happy to announce that every villager is now aware of the Bill,” he said.
The Bill is expected to proceed to the Parliamentary Committee stage before its First Reading when Parliament resumes sitting in the first week of next month.
In a separate interview, Zanu-PF Chief Whip Cde Pupurai Togarepi said he was confident that the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill would pass through Parliament, citing the ruling party’s numerical strength.
Zanu-PF holds more than 190 seats in the National Assembly, surpassing the required two-thirds majority threshold of 187 out of 280 Members of Parliament.
The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) remains a minority in Parliament.
“All Zanu-PF parliamentarians will vote in favour, there’s no doubt about that. I can safely confirm that the bill will become law without fail,” said Cde Togarepi.
He said Zanu-PF Members of Parliament are party representatives who are expected to follow resolutions made at party conferences held in Bulawayo and Mutare.
“All our MPs are supporting CAB3. We are party representatives in Parliament and come from the same structures that approved the contents of the Constitutional Amendments No 3 Bill. There will be overwhelming support for CAB3 in Parliament,” he said.
The Bill is set to be tabled when Parliament resumes sitting on June 2.
Under Section 328 of the Constitution, amending Zimbabwe’s Constitution is a rigorous process that differs from passing ordinary legislation.
Before a Constitutional Amendment Bill is introduced in either the National Assembly or the Senate, Parliament is required to publish a 90-day notice in the Government Gazette informing citizens of the proposed amendments.
This waiting period is intended to ensure transparency and allow sufficient time for public scrutiny of the proposed changes.
Immediately after the notice is issued, Parliament must invite public input, usually through nationwide hearings conducted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice.
Once the 90-day period ends, the Bill is formally introduced in Parliament for its First Reading.
It then moves to the Second Reading stage, where debate begins. At this stage, the Minister of Justice outlines the purpose of the Bill, while the relevant portfolio committee presents a report based on public submissions.
Members of Parliament then debate the Bill in detail.
For the Constitutional Amendment Bill to pass, it must secure a two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate during the final vote.
If the required threshold is not met in either House, the Bill falls away.
