admin
Senate to deal with adverse reports against legal statutes by local authorities.
This forced the Upper House to adjourn 10 minutes after convening.
Minister Chinamasa was reportedly attending Cabinet meeting while Mr Mushonga, who is also Mazowe Central MP (MDC-T), chose to go and sit in the House of Assembly, leaving 17 Motions before Senate unattended.
Senate President, Cde Edna Madzongwe, told Senate that since Mr Mushonga was not in the Chamber, she had no option but to ask Minister of State for State Security in the President’s Office, Sydney Sekeramayi to adjourn the House. Minister Sekeramayi, who was Stand-in Leader of the House, obliged by moving for the adjournment of the House.
Minister Chinamasa was supposed to respond to the adverse reports by the PLC before Mr Mushonga moved for the adoption of the Committee Report on Statutory Instruments by various local authorities.
Two weeks ago, Mr Mushonga had tabled adverse reports against several Statutory Instruments promulgated by a number of local authorities.
The adverse reports tabled related to the following local authorities, Plumtree, Bindura, Norton, Kariba, Marondera, Mberengwa, Gokwe, Kadoma, Gweru, Ruwa, Epworth, Mvurwi, Chinhoyi and Chipinge.
In the adverse report, Mr Mushonga’s Committee had submitted that the traffic fines of more than US$20 that the local authorities wanted to impose against motorists
were illegal as they violated the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act. It was submitted that the Act provided that fines exceeding level Three or US$20 could only be imposed by a Magistrate after canvassing all the essential elements of the offence.
After tabling of the adverse report, the relevant government minister was supposed to respond.
Last week Minister Chinamasa had told Senate that he had held discussions with the PLC on their adverse report and would make a response.
Although he did not divulge what they discussed, the Minister concurred that the observations by the Committee were proper as only a Magistrate Court could impose a fine more than US$20.
Yesterday’s Senate sitting was supposed to see the response before Mr Mushonga moves for the adoption of the Motions by Mr Mushonga, making the decision by the Committee binding.
Because of the unavailability of the two, Senate only deliberated on one Motion when the mover of the Motion was present leaving other 17 Motions by Mr Mushonga.
Online Reporter