Bill Watch 54/2019 [Both Houses Resume Sittings Today] 22 October 2019
BILL WATCH 54/2019
[22nd October 2019]
Both the Senate and the National Assembly Resume Sittings Today
Note: The President has declared Friday 25th October a public holiday
to allow Zimbabweans to attend solidarity against sanctions on Zimbabwe
events.
Coming up in Parliament
The Second Session of this Parliament – the Ninth Parliament of Parliament
[and second Parliament under the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe] was officially
opened by President Mnangagwa on Tuesday 1st October at a joint sitting of
both Houses. The President delivered a State of the Nation address [link]
during which he outlined the Government’s legislative agenda for the session.
After the joint sitting both Houses reconvened briefly before adjourning until
today.
MPs have not, however, been idle in the interim – they have been attending
committee meetings and engaging members of the public at public
consultations on Bills and the forthcoming 2020 National Budget. Yesterday
they attended a pre-Budget briefing in preparation for their coming labours on
the 2020 National Budget – including the detailed pre-Budget Seminar at
Victoria Falls scheduled for 30th October to 4th November.
The presentation of the 2020 Budget by the Minister of Finance and Economic
Development will be on Thursday 14th November.
Today’s agenda
As today’s sittings will be the first working sittings of the new session and as all
unfinished business of the First Session, including uncompleted Bills, lapsed at
the end of that session, the agenda for this afternoon’s sittings is very brief. It is
the same in each House: the moving of the customary beginning-of-session
motions expressing loyalty to Zimbabwe and respectful thanks to the President
for the speech that he delivered when opening the new session on 1st October.
Upcoming Business
Unfinished business from the last session it is likely that motions will be put,
and approved, that Bills be restored to the Order Paper at the stage reached in
the last session:
Education Amendment Bill
Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency Bill
Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Amendment Bill
Coroner’s Office Bill
Marriages Bill
New Business, for example, tabling of three recently gazetted Bills so that they
can go for consideration by the Parliamentary Legal Committee:
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill