Bill Watch 67/2019
ZIDA Bill Passed, Progress Made on
Money Laundering Bill & Coroner's Office Bill
6 December 2019
Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Amendment Bill Amended
On Tuesday 3rd December the Parliamentary Legal Committee [PLC] returned
a non-adverse report on this Bill, as amended last week by the National
Assembly [the amendments will be on our website soon]. The Bill with these
amendments was then sent to the Senate, which dealt with it on Thursday
afternoon.
Senator Chief Siansali proposed changing one of the National Assembly’s
amendments This amendment had removed the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption
Commission [ZACC] and the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA] from the list
of authorities able to apply to the High Court for Unexplained Wealth Orders
[UWOs] – leaving only the police and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority
[ZIMRA] able to apply to the High Court for [UWOs].
The Senate’s amendment was supported by Minister Ziyambi and adopted –
thus restoring powers to NPC and removing those of the police to obtain
UWOs. This would mean only ZIMRA and NPA would have these powers –
not ZAAC and not the police. Chief Siansali’s amendment was sent to the
Parliamentary Legal Committee [PLC] to report on the constitutionality of his
amendment. A non-adverse report is expected next week.
When cleared by the PLC and finally passed by the Senate, the amended Bill
will have to be referred back to the National Assembly for its approval of the
Senate’s amendment – this is likely as it has the backing of Minister Ziyambi.
These steps could be completed on Tuesday 10th December or the next day,
when both Houses will be sitting – and if that happens, the Bill will have been
finally passed by Parliament in the amended form and could be sent to the
President for assent and gazetting as law.
Coroner’s Office Bill
The Second Reading stage of this Bill resumed on Tuesday 3rd December with
the presentation of the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs’ report on the Bill and the public hearings conducted by
the committee. Debate continued on Thursday 5th December and the Bill was
given its Second Reading, following immediately by the Committee Stage. The
House approved amendments to clauses 7 and 14 of the Bill proposed by the
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs following suggestions
made by the Portfolio Committee and during the Second Reading debate. The
amended Bill was then referred to the PLC, which – as the Bill is being is fasttracked in accordance with the motion approved last week – will probably report
on Tuesday 10th December. If the report is non-adverse, the Bill could be
finally approved and transmitted to the Senate on that day.
Freedom of Information Bill [link]
At the end of Thursday afternoon’s sitting at 6.45 pm the Minister Ziyambi
standing in for the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services,