Govt finalises alignment of laws

Walter Nyamukondiwa Chinhoyi Bureau
Government is finalising the alignment of Zimbabwe’s laws to the country’s Constitution before this year’s harmonised elections, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said irrespective of whether laws were aligned to the Constitution or not, the supreme law of the land took precedence.

“However, I also need to add that we have preached the gospel according to alignment for a very long time and we have failed to preach the gospel according to compliance,” he said.

“The Constitution is very clear that any customs, practices and then laws that are inconsistent with the Constitution are invalid to the extent of their inconsistency.

“In other words, what we are doing is cleaning up. The provisions became invalid in 2013 and all we are doing is bringing certainty.” All stakeholders, he said, should start emphasising on compliance with the Constitution.

According to Minister Ziyambi, efforts should be made to expedite the alignment process.
He said aligning laws to the Constitution guaranteed constitutional provisions, fundamental rights and freedoms.

“It is imperative that we give this exercise the time and attention it rightfully deserves to ensure that all our laws conform to the Constitution. I am confident that through the leadership and guidance of the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Alignment, the alignment of laws will be completed soon, preferably before the next harmonised elections,” he said.