Land Acquisition Act (consolidated to 10-5-02) (c) within the period of five years immediately preceding the date of his proposed appointment, he has been sentenced in any country, for conduct which, if committed in Zimbabwe, would have constituted an offence, to a term of imprisonment imposed without the option of a fine, whether or not any portion of the sentence has been suspended, and has not received a free pardon. (2) A member of Parliament shall not be appointed as a member, nor shall he be qualified to hold office as a member. 32 Terms and conditions of office of members (1) A member shall hold office for such period, not exceeding three years, as the Minister may fix on his appointment. (2) On the expiry of the period for which a member has been appointed, he shall continue to hold office until he has been reappointed or his successor has been appointed: Provided that a member shall not continue to hold office in terms of this subsection for a period exceeding six months. (3) Members shall hold office on such conditions as the Minister, with the approval of the Minister responsible for finance, may fix. (4) A member who retires shall be eligible for reappointment. 33 Vacation of office by members and filling of vacancies (1) A member shall vacate his office and his office shall become vacant— (a) after giving the Minister such period of notice of intention to resign as may be fixed in his conditions of service or, if no such period has been fixed, after the expiry of one month after the date he gives such notice, or after the expiry of such other period of notice as he and the Minister may agree; or (b) on the date he begins to serve a sentence of imprisonment the term of which is not less than three months, whether or not any portion has been suspended, imposed in any country; or (c) if he, becomes disqualified in terms of paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1) of section 31 to hold office as a member; or (d) if he is required in terms of subsection (2) to vacate his office. (2) The Minister, after consulting the Derelict Land Board, may require a member to vacate his office if the member— (a) has been guilty of conduct which renders him unsuitable to continue to hold office as a member; or (b) has failed to comply with any conditions of his office fixed in terms of section 32; or (c) is mentally or physically incapable of efficiently exercising his functions as a member. (3) The Minister, on the recommendation of the Derelict Land Board, may require a member to vacate his office if the Minister is satisfied that the member has been absent without the permission of the chairman of the Derelict Land Board from three consecutive meetings of the Board, of which he has been given not less than seven days’ notice, and that there was no just cause for the member’s absence. (4) On the death of or the vacation of office by a member, the Minister may, subject to section 30, appoint a person to fill the vacancy. 34 Meetings and procedure of Derelict Land Board (1) The Derelict Land Board shall hold its first meeting on such date and at such place as the Minister may fix and thereafter the Derelict Land Board shall meet for the dispatch of business and adjourn, close and otherwise regulate its meetings and procedure as it thinks fit. (2) The chairman of the Derelict Land Board may himself at any time and shall, at the request in writing of not fewer than three members, convene a special meeting of the Board, which meeting shall be convened for a date not sooner than seven days nor later than 30 days after the receipt of such request. (3) Subject to subsection (4), the chairman of the Derelict Land Board shall preside at meetings of the Board. (4) If at a meeting of the Derelict Land Board the chairman is absent, the members present may elect one of their number to preside at that meeting as chairman. (5) A majority of members shall form a quorum at any meeting of the Derelict Land Board. (6) All acts, matters or things authorised or required to be done by the Derelict Land Board may be decided by a majority vote at a meeting of the Board at which a quorum is present. (7) At all meetings of the Derelict Land Board each member present shall have one vote on each question before the Board: Provided that— (i) in the event of an equality of votes, the person presiding at the meeting shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberative vote; (ii) no member shall take part in the consideration or decision of, or vote on, any question before the Board which relates to his reappointment or vacation of office as a member. (8) The Derelict Land Board may, with the approval of the Minister, co-opt any person to assist it as assessor or adviser on any professional or technical question at any of its proceedings, but a co-opted person shall have no vote in any decision by the Board. (9) No member shall vote upon or take part in a discussion if he has, directly or indirectly, any pecuniary interest in the matter before the Derelict Land Board. - 14 -