Constitution of Zimbabwe (as amended by Constitution Amendment No. 19)
Senate and the Speaker, and to provide penalties for a person who sits or votes in
Parliament knowing or having reasonable grounds for knowing that he is not
entitled to do so.
[Section as substituted by section 15 of Act 31 of 1989 – Amendment No. 9 – and amended by
section 23 of Act 5 of 2005 – Amendment No. 17]
PART 5
Powers and Procedure of Parliament
50 Legislative powers
Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, Parliament may make laws for
the peace, order and good government of Zimbabwe.
51 Mode of exercising legislative powers
(1) Subject to the provisions of section 52 and Schedule 4, the power of
Parliament to make laws shall be exercised by Bills passed by the House of
Assembly and the Senate and assented to by the President.
[Subsection as amended by section 26 of Act 31 of 1989 – Amendment No. 9 – and by
section 23 of Act 5 of 2005 – Amendment No. 17]
(2) When a Bill is presented to the President for assent he shall, subject to the
provisions of this section, within twenty-one days, either assent or withhold his
assent.
[Subsection as amended by section 4 of Act 23 of 1987]
(3) Where this Constitution provides that a Bill of a specified description shall
not be presented to the President for assent unless it is accompanied by a
certificate, the President shall not assent to such Bill unless it is accompanied by
the said certificate.
(3a) Where the President withholds his assent to a Bill, the Bill shall be
returned to the House of Assembly and, subject to the provisions of subsection
(3b), the Bill shall not again be presented for assent.
[Subsection as inserted by section 4 of Act 23 of 1987 and as amended by section 26 of Act 31 of 1989 –
Amendment No. 9 – and by
section 23 of Act 5 of 2005 – Amendment No. 17]
(3b) If, within six months after a Bill has been returned to the House of
Assembly in terms of subsection (3a), the House of Assembly resolves upon a
motion supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the
House of Assembly that the Bill should again be presented to the President for
assent, the Bill shall be so presented and, on such presentation, the President shall
assent to the Bill within twenty-one days of the presentation, unless he sooner
dissolves Parliament.
[Subsection as inserted by section 4 of Act 23 of 1987
and as amended by section 26 of Act 31 of 1989 – Amendment No. 9 – and by
section 23 of Act 5 of 2005 – Amendment No. 17]
(4) All laws made by Parliament shall be styled “Acts” and the words of
enactment shall be “enacted by the President and the Parliament of Zimbabwe” or
words to the like effect.
- 61 -
Select target paragraph3
Add to table of contents