Constitution Amendment Bill processes set for June completion

PARLIAMENTARY processes for the adoption of the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 are expected to be concluded by the end of June, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has said.

Presently, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is consolidating submissions from members of the public.

These submissions have been gathered through hand deliveries to Parliament, emails and public hearings conducted between March 31 and April 2 across the country.

In an interview yesterday, Minister Ziyambi said the committee’s consolidation is expected to be completed over the weekend.

Thereafter, he will introduce the Bill in Parliament next week when sittings resume on June 2.

Parliament had adjourned to allow processing of submissions.

“The portfolio committees have been looking at the submissions that were brought to Parliament as well as what they gathered during public hearings and have been compiling their report which we hope will be done by this weekend.

“And once it’s done, next week when we resume sitting I will then introduce the Bill for the first time,” he said.

From there, the Justice Minister said he would proceed to the second reading, during which he will formally introduce and unpack the Bill to Members of Parliament (MPs).

He added that the committees that conducted the public hearings would present their reports, after which the floor would be opened for debate by all MPs.

“It being a Constitutional Bill it’s not referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee which would then allow me if I’m comfortable to proceed to the second reading speech where I will formally now unpack the Bill to Parliamentarians explaining the provisions of the Bill, the rationale and opening up debate so that the various committees that undertook public hearings can then present their committee reports on what members of the public said.

“(They will also present) on what they also believe the bill should be and then after that it will be opened to all the members of Parliament to debate, to proffer suggestions on clauses, what they think they should be like and when all that debate is completed I will then be able to respond to all the submissions,” said Minister Ziyambi.

He said that if there is need to adjust, delete, or adopt some clauses, he would indicate in his closing speech whether they should be considered before the Bill proceeds to the committee stage.

“If there is need to adjust or to drop some clauses I will then in my closing speech after the second reading speech indicate if that consideration will be done before we then proceed to the committee stage.

“But it will depend on the debate; how it goes in Parliament and hopefully we should be able to conclude the processes by end of June,” said Minister Ziyambi.

The Bill outlines a parliamentary-based process for electing the President and proposes replacing the current five-year presidential term with a seven-year tenure.

It further introduces a range of legal reforms intended to strengthen constitutional governance, define institutional roles more poignantly, promote political stability and improve the efficiency of State systems.

As stated in the Government Gazette, the Bill is part of Zimbabwe’s ongoing legal perfections.