Story by Bruce Chahwanda, Political Editor
THE Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill (CAB3) is set to move to the Committee Stage after Parliament concluded what has been described as the most extensively debated Constitutional amendment process since Independence, with more than 200 legislators contributing to discussions.
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi told the National Assembly that the Bill had generated unprecedented participation, prompting Parliament to extend sitting hours and accommodate every member of parliament who wished to contribute.
Addressing the House, Honourable Ziyambi praised the Speaker and presiding officers for overseeing lengthy deliberations that stretched from mid-afternoon until after midnight.
“In the history of Parliament from 1980, we have never had a Bill that has been debated like this constitutional Bill,” he said.
He noted that Parliament had even relaxed its procedures to allow members to repeat points already raised to ensure every legislator had an opportunity to be heard.
“We sat until midnight so that every voice of our Parliamentarians is heard,” said Honourable Ziyambi.
The minister contrasted the current debate with previous Constitutional amendment processes, noting that only 19 members debated the first Constitutional Amendment Bill in 2017, while 18 participated during debate on the second amendment in 2021.
“On this one, we have had every member who wanted to debate. In other words, we had over 200 members debating,” he said.
Honourable Ziyambi said the final figure would be verified with parliamentary clerks, but described the level of participation as a record unlikely to be surpassed for many years.
As Parliament prepares for the Committee Stage, several senior government officials are expected to clarify issues raised by legislators during the debate.
The Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Honourable Kazembe Kazembe is expected to address matters relating to voter registration and the role of the Registrar General as custodian of the voters’ roll.
The Minister of Energy and Power Development, Honourable July Moyo, who is a local government expert in Government will provide clarification on issues relating to delimitation, drawing on his experience in local government administration.
The Attorney General Honourable Virginia Mabhiza will also address concerns raised by legislators regarding the drafting process and the policy framework that guided the formulation of the Bill.
Honourable Ziyambi said his team had been compiling submissions made by legislators and would spend time consolidating the issues raised to ensure all contributions are addressed comprehensively.
“We do not want to exclude responding to anyone who has debated today. We want to capture what we have debated and include it in my response,” he said.
Following responses from the ministers and the Attorney General, Honourable Ziyambi will deliver a concluding response before Parliament proceeds to the Committee Stage of the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill.
