Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Special Report Enforcing the Rule of Law in Zimbabwe 148A/2000, purporting to alter the Land Acquisition Act. SI 255A/2000 (Broadcasting) Regulations, like the bill which repeated most of them, received a negative report from the PLC, on which the Speaker ruled that there would be no discussion because it had been received late. Parliament’s Portfolio Committees Zimbabwe’s fifth Parliament created portfolio committees, comprising MPs from both sides of the House, to monitor each and every ministry. On the whole, these committees have discomfitted the ruling party, particularly in a report criticising fast-track land resettlement, but their valuable work has been accepted. However, the exception was the second report of the Parliamentary portfolio committee on lands, agriculture, rural resources, water development and resettlement. It indicted Minister of Rural Resources and Water Development, Joyce Mujuru, on flouting procedures for a DDF tender which prejudiced the State of approximately US$1 million.1 Claiming Cabinet authorisation, which she alleged made Tender Board approval irrelevant, and that the contract had been signed by ‘the Head of State’ and finance ministry officials, Minister Mujuru told Parliament it had not been told ‘the whole truth’ in this report. Following an adjournment, MPs were reminded by the Deputy Speaker that the report was to be noted, not adopted, and to the horror of the committee, its Zanu-PF chairman withdrew it. The opposition threatened legal action against the minister. Subordinate legislation Subordinate legislation comes in the form of Statutory Instruments (SIs). Every year a few hundred of these are gazetted into law. These are usually the preserve of Cabinet Ministers and are used to pass regulations provided for in various statutes. In Zimbabwe, however, the State President has, since 1986, personally intervened in the lawmaking process by issuing SIs (which go beyond his ceremonial functions) under his own name. These are analysed in Chapter 3 (see pages 19-21). Members of Parliament From the June 2000 elections, Zanu-PF had 62 elected Members of Parliament. Fifteen of them (24,2%) were named2 as having been directly and personally implicated in political violence during their election campaigns. They were: David Chapfika (Mutoko North), Shadreck Chipanga (Makoni East), Chen Chimutengwende (Mazowe East), Nobbie Dzinzi (Muzarabani), Border Gezi (Bindura - deceased), Nicholas Goche (Shamva), Joram Gumbo (Mberengwa West), Chenjerai Hunzvi (Chikomba - deceased), 1 Parliamentary Debates 27,67:7034-7135. By their victims, who have given statements to the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. See Who was responsible? Alleged perpetrators and their crimes during the 2000 Parliamentary Election period. 2 13