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Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Opening Parliament to members of the public to participate in legislative formulation is the uppermost milestone registered since the country attained independence in 1980.
Other far-reaching achievements registered since independence include the introduction of the women’s quota, election of women as presiding officers, live television and radio broadcasts of sittings and the construction of a bigger, new Parliament Building.
These achievements are major milestones that have transformed the August House.
Recognition of all indigenous languages in Parliamentary debates is an icing on the cake for Parliament as it seeks to respond to the aspirations and expectations of citizens.
What remains is the full implementation of all the 16 languages recognised by the Constitution.
While there have been several achievements registered by Parliament, it is the opening of the legislative assembly to members of the public that will be etched in the history of Parliament for long.
The opening up of Parliament was done as part of comprehensive reform programmes that were embarked upon by the August House in 1996 designed to: increase public participation in the legislative process, strengthen the capacity of legislators to contribute more effectively, improve internal systems and procedures of the house and enhance the oversight role of the House with special emphasis on promoting greater efficiency in the management of Public funds.
Although parliamentary reforms started at Independence in April 1980, they were largely undertaken in an ad hoc manner.
However, the Legislature became increasingly aware that it was still widely viewed by the public as being a remote institution which was ill-equipped and inadequately resourced to effectively represent constituents.
Furthermore, there was a popular perception that Parliament was too weak to bring the Executive branch of the State to account for its actions and for public funds.
Therefore, in an effort to address these concerns, the institution established a Parliamentary Reform Committee (PRC) in October 1996 to work out on the reforms through public consultation.
A committee was set up to investigate and make recommendations on the following among other issues: the practice and procedure of the House in relation to public business, the portfolio committee system, the legislative process and civic participation in Parliamentary business among others.
Some of the recommendations the committee came up with, which were duly adopted, was the introduction of questions without notice session, conducting public hearings on Bills before Parliament, setting up of Parliament Constituency Information Centres in all constituencies and the establishment of coordinated Portfolio Committees detailing their terms of references and shadowing every Government Ministry and Department.
The major challenges experienced by Parliament during the first phase of the programme was the need to secure more funding to augment available Government resources and donor support.
To address this challenge, Parliament adopted a multi-donor programme approach whereby a United Nations Development Programme (Managed Basked Fund Account) was opened so that other donors would be invited to contribute.
As a result of such reforms, portfolio committees have been conducting public hearings on a given Bill before Parliament in compliance with a constitutional requirements.
Related to that and consistent with the objective of opening up Parliament to the public, proceedings such as question and answer sessions and major events like official opening and State of the Nation Address by the Head of State and Government are now screened live on both television and radio by the national broadcaster.
Another milestone whose impact is quite breathtaking is constitutional amendments that created the women’s quota.
At least 60 seats from the National Assembly has been reserved for women as part of Government deliberate efforts to empower women who have been historically been marginalised.
The Ian Smith regime treated women as minors and competing with men for parliamentary seats had been a nightmare for women because they lacked resources and necessary experience.
Upon realising that setback for women, Government, through Constitutional Amendment Number 20, promulgated the women’s quota in which at least six women from each of the 10 provinces assumed a parliamentary seat. This is over and above their right to contest any constitutional seat.
Zimbabwe has received standing ovation at the Sadc Parliamentary Forum as most countries are now keen to emulate Harare.
Consequently, Zanu-PF has since tabled a motion for debate in the National Assembly to have the constitutional provision extended upon its expiry in 2023.
Related to the above is the election of female presiding officers in Parliament such as Senate Presidents as Deputy Speaker.
Prior to independence and subsequent years that followed, there used to be male presiding officers until Cde Edna Madzongwe was elected Deputy Speaker of Parliament before she was elevated to become Senate President.
At the moment, Cde Marble Chinomona who during the Eighth Parliament was Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly is now the Senate President while Cde Tsitsi Gezi is Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly
There is also Cde Tatenda Mavetera (Zanu-PF) who sits in the Speaker’s panel, whose role is to preside over Parliamentary sittings and debates while the Speaker and his deputy is absent.
With all these achievements, Zimbabwe’s Parliament is poised for greater things as the years unfold as it warms up to a new Parliament building in Mount Hampden.
Online Reporter