ZIMBABWE YOUTH COUNCIL ACT (as at 1st February 2012) (2) The Minister, on the recommendation of the Council, may require a member to vacate his office if the Minister is satisfied that the member has been absent without the Council’s permission from three consecutive meetings of the Council, of which the member was given not less than seven days’ notice, and that there was no just cause for the member’s absence. (3) The Minister may suspend from office a member against whom criminal proceedings have been instituted for an offence in respect of which a sentence of imprisonment without the option of a fine may be imposed, and while that member is so suspended he shall not carry out any functions as a member. (2) The Council shall, with all due expedition, comply with any direction given to it in terms of subsection (1). 4 Re-election of elected member (1) If not less than half of the national associations which are registered with the Council require the Council to do so, the Council shall convene a meeting in terms of subsection (2) for the purpose of holding a re-election of the office of any particular elected member of the Council specified by such national associations. (2) Following a request made in terms of subsection (2) the Council shall, as soon as possible, convene a meeting to which it shall invite an equal number of representatives of all the national associations which are registered with the Council. (3) At the meeting convened in terms of subsection (2)— (a) the holder of the office concerned shall vacate his office; (b) a re-election to the office concerned shall take place: Provided that the holder of the office concerned who vacated his office shall be eligible for reelection. 3F Filling of vacancies on Council (1) If a vacancy occurs in the membership of the Council— (a) amongst the appointed members, the Minister shall as soon as possible, and in any event within three months, appoint a person to fill the vacancy, the appointment being made after consultation with the President and in accordance with any directions the President may give the Minister; (b) amongst the elected members, the Council shall as soon as possible, and in any event within three months, take the necessary steps to fill the vacancy, and subsections (2) and (3) of section three B shall apply, mutatis mutandis, in relation thereto: 4A Vice-chairman of Council (1) There shall be a vice-chairman of the Council, who shall be elected by the members of the Council from among their number at the Council’s first meeting after— (a) a general election of members; or (b) the office of vice-chairman for any reason falls vacant. (2) The vice-chairman of the Council shall perform the functions of the chairman whenever the chairman is for any reason unable to perform them. Provided that, if the vacancy occurs less than three months before the date on which the term of office of the member concerned was due to expire, the Minister or the Council, as the case may be, need not fill the vacancy until after that date. (2) A member of the Council appointed or elected to fill a vacancy in terms of this section shall hold office for so long as the person in whose place he was appointed or elected would have remained a member had he not vacated his office. [Section inserted by s. 4 of Act 16/1997.] 5 Appointment of Director-Secretary (1) The Council shall have a Director whose office shall be a public office and shall form part of the Public Service. 3G Minister may give Council directions as to policy (1) The Minister may give the Council such general directions relating to the policy the Council is to observe in the exercise of its functions as appear to the Minister to be requisite in the national interest. [Chapter 25:19] [Subsection amended by s. 5 of Act 16/1997.] (2) The Director shall perform the functions of secretary of the Council: Provided that, whenever the Director is unable to perform any of those functions, he shall appoint a member of the Public Service to act for him. 4