INTERPRETATION ACT [Chapter 1:01] (as amended 1st March 2005)
(2) A reference in an enactment to a provision in another enactment shall be construed as
a reference to that provision as for the time
being amended by or under any other enactment, including the enactment in which the
reference is made.
be given to each enactment according to its true
spirit, intent and meaning.
12 Application of interpretation
provisions in enactments
(1) Definitions or rules of interpretation contained in an enactment shall apply to the construction of the provisions of the enactment
which contain those definitions or rules of
interpretation as well as to the other provisions
of the enactment.
(3) A reference in an enactment by number
or letter to two or more Parts, Appendices,
divisions, sections, subsections, paragraphs,
subparagraphs, Schedules, instruments or
forms shall be read as including the number or
letter first mentioned and the number or letter
last mentioned.
(4) Where in an enactment reference is made
to a Part, Appendix, division, section, Schedule
or form without anything in the context to
indicate that a reference to a Part, Appendix,
division, section, Schedule or form of some
other enactment is intended, the reference shall
be construed as a reference to a Part, Appendix, division, section, Schedule or form of the
enactment in which the reference is made.
(5) Where a division of an enactment contains subdivisions, a reference in any such
subdivision to another subdivision shall, unless
the context indicates that a reference to a
subdivision of another division is intended, be
construed as a reference to a subdivision of
that division.
Every enactment shall be construed as always speaking, and if anything is expressed in
the present tense it shall be applied to the
circumstances as they occur so that effect may
(3) Definitions or rules of interpretation contained in an enactment shall apply to the construction of any statutory instrument made
thereunder.
13 Corresponding meanings of parts of
speech
Where a word is defined in an enactment,
grammatical variations and any parts of speech
of that word and cognate expressions shall
have corresponding meanings in that enactment.
(6) Where in an enactment reference is made
to a statutory instrument without anything in
the context to indicate that reference to a
statutory instrument made under some other
enactment is intended, the reference shall be
construed as a reference to a statutory instrument made under the enactment in which the
reference is made.
11 Enactments always speaking
(2) An interpretation section or provision
contained in an enactment shall be read and
construed as being applicable only if a contrary
intention does not appear in the enactment.
14 Description of area by reference to
official diagram, etc.
Where in any enactment an area is required
to be prescribed, defined or described, the area
may be prescribed, defined or described by
reference to an official diagram, map or plan
which may be inspected free of charge at a
specified office or at specified offices in Zimbabwe.
15 References to applications and
petitions
(1) Where an enactment requires or permits
an application to be made to a court⎯
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