Parliamentary Affairs Bill Watch Special of 15 March

Bill Watch 10/2010 of 15th March 2010 [Zuma to Break Deadlock ?]

The Senate has adjourned until Tuesday 16th June

The House of Assembly will resume on Tuesday 16th March and is expected to adjourn soon thereafter

Update on Inclusive Government

Ministerial Functions:
The President's controversial allocation among Ministers of responsibility for administering Acts of Parliament will be on the agenda at the next meeting of the Gpa party principals, due on Monday 15th March. [See Bill Watch 8/2010 of 6th March for more on the 33 statutory Instruments spelling out the assignments.] [Document containing all 33 statutory Instruments available on request.]

President Zuma Expected on Tuesday:
SA President Zuma is due in Harare on Tuesday 16th March for a two-day visit in an effort to break the current stalemate in the negotiations to resolve outstanding Gpa issues and secure implementation of matters already agreed. His three-member mediation team will arrive on Monday to pave the way for his meetings with the party principals. [As the negotiators had only planned to meet again on the 26th March, President Zuma's intervention may inject a Note of urgency into the proceedings.]

"Sanctions": Switzerland has followed the lead of the EU and renewed travel restrictions on senior Zimbabwe officials.

Lengthy Parliamentary Adjournment for Constitution Consultative Process

By the end of this Week it is expected that both Houses of Parliament will be adjourned until mid-June. This lengthy recess is at the request of the Select Committee on the Constitution and is designed to free Members of Parliament to take part in the Constitution consultative process, which the Select Committee has estimated will take 65 days. This means that the Posa Amendment Bill cannot pass through Parliament before the Constitutional outreach starts - nor can there be any amendment of media legislation. [Note: At one stage the Select Committee professed to agree that there could be no meaningful Constitutional consultation unless there were legislative reforms leading to democratic freedom of association and expression.]

Indigenisation Regulations: Latest

The regulations are under intense scrutiny:
They were discussed for the second Time by the Council Of Ministers at its meeting on Thursday 11th March. It is expected that some amendments to the regulations will be gazetted, but these are not yet available. The House of Assembly Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance, Economic Planning And Investment held a public hearing on the regulations in Bulawayo On Friday and will hold another at the Harare International Conference Centre on Monday 15th March at 10 am [for further details Bill Watch">See Bill Watch Special of 10th March] . They will be considered by the Parliamentary Legal Committee on Tuesday 16th March. The PLC's principal task is to consider the constitutionality of the regulations and whether or not they are ultra vires the Indigenisation And Economic Empowerment Act [Constitution, section 40B] . [Interested parties may make written submissions only.] They are being analysed by the Portfolio Committee On Industry And Commerce and the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth, Gender And Community Development [these are closed meetings].

In the Senate Last Week

The Senate met on 9th and 10th March. The House of Assembly did not sit last Week .

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill: The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill [as amended by the House of Assembly] was passed without amendment; amendments tabled by Senator Mutsvangwa of ZANU-PF and Senator Gutu of MDC-T were dropped, following behind the scenes discussions. This means that the Bill as amended by the House Of Assembly will become law once assented to by the President and gazetted as an Act. [Bill as amended by House of Assembly available on request.]

BIPPA between Zimbabwe and SA approved: The Senate approved the Agreement between Zimbabwe and South Africa for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments. The Agreement has now been approved by both Houses. It will come into force 30 days after both countries have completed the necessary constitutional formalities; the commencement date will be officially notified in the Government Gazette in due course. [Copy of agreement available.]

Motions: The Senate, without concluding debate, discussed:
the Report of the Thematic Committee On Peace And Security on the Role of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation And Irrigation Development the Report of the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development on Access to Clean Water Senator Gutu's motion on the Effects ... ...

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