Work cut out for Parliament

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Parliament has its work cut out when it resumes sitting on January 9, with nine Bills before it, apart from debating the 2018 National Budget that was presented early this month.

According to the latest Bills Status Report from Parliament, nine Bills are already before the House at various stages, while the National Peace and Reconciliation Bill is now awaiting President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s signature before being passed into law.

The Bills include the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill, Public Entities Corporate Governance Bill (2017), Public Health Bill (2017), Estate Administrators Amendment Bill (2016), Insolvency Bill, Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, Estate Administrators Amendment Bill, Electoral Amendment Bill and the Land Commission Bill.

The Public Entities Corporate Governance Bill that seeks to promote good governance in public enterprises and parastatals is already being debated in the National Assembly and is at the second reading stage. The Bill is part of Government’s wider efforts to promote transparency and turn around the performance of State enterprises that have been a drain on the fiscus for some time.

The other Bills that are on the second reading stage are the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, Electoral Amendment Bill and the Insolvency Bill.

The Electoral Amendment Bill seeks to give effect to the creation of a new voters’ roll using the biometric registration process as gazetted by former President Robert Mugabe in August.

The Bill also outlines the voter registration requirements.

The Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill seeks to repeal the old Mines and Minerals Act that was promulgated during colonial times and has been criticised as outdated and not in sync with latest developments and aspirations of the nation.