HARARE – Zimbabwe’s 10th parliament got down to business on Tuesday following its official opening by President Emmerson Mnangagwa during a sitting in Mt Hampden boycotted by the opposition.
Setting the legislative agenda in his State of the Nation Address, Mnangagwa said 17 bills would be tabled for debate while four other pieces of “obsolete” legislation would be repealed.
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) lawmakers snubbed the event as the party presses for fresh elections following August’s elections which regional and international observers said failed to meet democratic standards.
“Flawed elections and disputed national processes produce flawed outcomes and disputed leaders,” CCC leader Nelson Chamisa wrote on X. “To resolve all this, there must be a political settlement to return Zimbabwe to majority rule.”
Mnangagwa, returning to his election campaign themes, said the proposed law reforms would keep Zimbabwe on course to be an upper middle-income country by 2030.
“Obsolete laws such as the Fredrick Clayton Trust Act; the Service of Documents Act; Settled Estates Leasing Act and the War Marriages Validation Act should be repealed under the Repeal of Laws (General Amendment) Bill,” Mnangagwa said.
“The Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill; Public Finance Management Amendment Bill; Medical Services Amendment Bill; Insurance Bill; the Private Voluntary Organisations Bill and the Postal and Telecommunications Amendment Bill which were outstanding from the 9th parliament must be concluded during the first session of this parliament.”
He said that new bills that will be debated in parliament include the Climate Change Bill; Economic Employment Bill; Persons with Disabilities Bill; Administration of Estates Amendment Bill; Legal Practitioners Amendment Bill; Competition Amendment Bill; Standards Bill; Inheritance and Succession (General Amendment) Bill; Sugar Production Amendment Bill; Technical Regulation Bill; Zimbabwe Construction Contractors Council Bill; National Productivity Institute Bill; Pensions Amendment Bill, Occupational Safety and Health Amendment Bill; Human Resources Practitioners Bill, National youth Bill and the Sport, Leisure and recreational Bill.
He added that some laws needed reviewing such as the Water Act; Plant Breeders Act; Housing and Building Act; National Heroes Act and the Health Professions Act.
Zanu PF has 176 MPs in the National Assembly, and the CCC 103. In the Senate, Zanu PF has 33 seats and CCC 27.
