Story by Panashe Nagoli
PARLIAMENT is set to conclude legislative processes on the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill this Tuesday, clearing the way for it to be transmitted to President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa for assent.
The National Assembly has been summoned for an extraordinary sitting on June 30 to consider six amendments proposed by the Senate after the upper house passed the Bill with the support of 75 senators.
Clerk of Parliament, Mr Kennedy Chokuda said the sitting would complete Parliament’s consideration of the Bill.
“The National Assembly members were summoned by His Excellency and will sit this Tuesday to consider the amendments proposed by the Senate. Our laws require that the same Bill text be passed by both Houses, so the National Assembly will consider those six amendments,” he said.
“The process is not a long one. It should take an hour at most, and once it is completed, it will mark the end of the parliamentary process before the Bill is transmitted to the President for assent to become law.”
Mr Chokuda said most of the proposed amendments were consequential and intended to refine the Bill’s wording.
“There are a total of six amendments which the National Assembly will consider. Most are consequential amendments, with the Senate essentially cleaning up the Bill,” he said.
He added that the substantive changes include transferring some functions of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission to the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, as well as amending the procedure governing Parliament’s first sitting following the election of a President.
The Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill was gazetted by the Speaker of Parliament on February 16 with 22 clauses.
Following amendments by both the National Assembly and the Senate, the Bill now comprises 26 clauses and is expected to proceed to the President for assent once the National Assembly concludes its consideration.
