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Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
THE government is finalising the General Laws Amendment Bill which seeks to amend more than 150 pieces of legislation in line with the New Constitution, Acting President Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa said yesterday. Officially opening a strategic planning workshop at a lodge in Gweru yesterday, Cde Mnangagwa said the Bill would soon be tabled before Parliament at the end of this month.
The Acting President who addressed workshop participants in his capacity as Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, said government remained committed to aligning the laws with the New Constitution.
“The General Laws Amendment Bill which seeks to amend more than 150 pieces of legislation is being finalised. I’m aware that Parliament will be opening at the end of this month. We will table the bill for discussion before Parliament,” he said.
Cde Mnangagwa said government had given his ministry the mandate to expeditiously align the country’s laws with the New Constitution.
He said President Mugabe emphasised the need and importance of urgently aligning the legislation to the New Constitution.
“His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde Mugabe has emphasised on various occasions the urgency of this matter,” he said.
Cde Mnangagwa said the alignment of legislation to the constitution was urgent and key to the success of Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset).
He said the ministry was supposed to strategise to ensure the inter-ministerial taskforce successfully implement the work plan in respect of the alignment of legislation.
Cde Mnangagwa said there were pieces of legislation that had been enacted pursuant to the provisions of the constitution such as the National Prosecuting Authority Act.
“I’m aware that an Inter-ministerial taskforce on the alignment of laws was established and has since developed a work plan indicating the work that lies ahead in respect of the alignment of legislation,” he said.
Cde Mnangagwa urged the ministry to speed up the decentralisation of the Legal Aid Directorate which was set up to provide essential legal services to underprivileged people mostly in rural communities.
“I’ve been advised that in 2014, the Legal Aid Directorate was able to open offices in Gweru, Mutare and Masvingo. It must, however, be stressed that the Legal Aid Directorate must expand into remote areas of Zimbabwe as it only has offices in urban areas,” he said.
Cde Mnangagwa urged the ministry to continue conducting advocacy meeting with ordinary people as well as distribute copies of the New Constitution.
He said there was also a need to translate the New Constitution into indigenous languages for the benefit of people at grassroots level.
Online Reporter