adminHarare Bureau
THE European Union is committing $1.28 million to help Zimbabwe push through legislative changes to align laws with the new constitution which was adopted in May last year.
Phillipe Van Damme, the Head of EU Delegation to Zimbabwe, said the funding would be channelled through the Centre for Applied Legal Research (CALR), which would provide technical support to the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
Speaking at the launch of the programme in Harare on Thursday, Van Damme said: “With its financial assistance, the European Union aims at enhancing the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to perform its coordinating role in the constitutional legislative alignment process and its overarching mandate to implement the constitution.”
He said the funds were being provided by the European Union in the framework of the recently signed National Indicative Programme under the 11th European Development Fund, which runs from 2014 to 2020.
Attorney General Prince Machaya, who officially launched the programme, said the EU funding would go a long way in speeding up the process of realignment of laws with the new constitution, which was stalled due to inadequate funding.
“This partnership means a lot to us in that it’ll enable us to much more and be able to meet our timelines. As you’re aware, we’ve constraints in terms of financial resources, but this partnership will enable us to convene all relevant parties under one roof so that we deal with all areas that need to be realigned,” said Machaya.
He said the participation of the EU in the constitutional alignment process was a positive development that showed that re-engagement efforts with the EU were bearing fruit.
Centre for Applied Legal Research director Nyasha Chishakwe, said the institution would provide broad technical support for the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs as part of its efforts to enhance the institutional capacity of the ministry in coordinating the constitutional and legislative alignment.
“Our organisation is a community of legal scholars engaged in undertaking legal research and the provision of legal advisory and training services in Zimbabwe and the southern African region,” Chishakwe said.
The government has initiated the legislative alignment process to ensure the smooth implementation of the new constitution. Line ministries are reviewing laws, policies and administrative practices for compliance with the constitution.
Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa who is also the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, recently said the enactment of the new Constitution in May 2013 ushered in a number of new obligations on the State.
VP Mnangagwa said the Electoral Act, the National Prosecuting Authority Act, the Sovereign Wealth Fund Act and the Finance Act had already been signed into law while the Gender Commission Bill and the Reserve Debt Assumption Bill were at advanced stages.
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter