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The Office of the President and Cabinet is crafting a Bill to guide the conduct of Vice-Presidents, ministers and deputy ministers, as part of the government’s task to align legislation with the new Constitution.
Addressing an inter-ministerial taskforce on alignment of legislation in Harare yesterday, Deputy Legal Advisor in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Nelson Charumbira said the process was now at consultation stage with the intention of coming up with a draft Bill that will be sent to the Attorney General’s Office.
“We’re still consulting the relevant stakeholders and of late we’ve not made much progress because of the ongoing political programmes. When we meet again as a committee next time we hope to give an update on the progress made,” he said.
Charumbira said the idea was to come up with a code of conduct for the senior government officials as required by the new supreme law.
“We intend to come up with a Bill on the code of conduct for the VPs and ministers as required by the Constitution,” he said. “We actually seek to have the enactment of the code of conduct.”
The committee on alignment of laws was sitting for the fourth time, with each ministry updating the gathering on the progress made in relation to crafting of draft Bills of laws falling under their respective portfolios.
The committee comprises legal officers of all the ministries, departments and independent commissions.
It is chaired by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Deputy Minister Fortune Chasi, with the target of ensuring the alignment of 400 laws with the Constitution.
The crafting of the Bill comes at a time when former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and eight ministers have been fired for various acts of misconduct.
Cde Mujuru and the eight ministers were being accused of graft, abuse of office, undermining the authority of the President and also plotting to assassinate him.
Deputy Attorney General (Legislative Drafting) Nelson Dias chaired the meeting yesterday and the representatives from the ministries reported on the progress made in the process of crafting draft Bills.
The Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development ministry was the first to present its report to the committee.
The ministry said the Gender Bill was now awaiting its second reading in Parliament and that operationalisation of the Gender Commission was in the pipeline.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said it drafted most of its proposed amendments and they were handed over to the authorities in the ministry for scrutiny.
The Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Ministry said the Local Authorities Bill had already been sent to Cabinet, while the Traditional Leaders Amendment Bill was dragging as chiefs were still to submit their comments.
The Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry reported that the Judicial Service Commission had since crafted the Constitutional Court Bill, but it was still being scrutinised by judges of the Constitutional Court.
The Lands and Rural Resettlement Ministry has since submitted the Land Commission Bill to the AG’s Office and it is likely to be debated in Parliament early next year.
Online Reporter