BILL WATCH 7/2025

Neither House is Sitting Next Week
Schedule for the Following Week in Parliament

Both Houses of Parliament adjourned last week and will resume sitting after a week in recess, on the 18th March.  In this Bill Watch we shall outline the business they are expected to deal with, but please bear the following points in mind:

When the National Assembly and the Senate adjourn, they set down all outstanding business on their Order Papers (i.e. their agendas) for the next appropriate sitting day.  There is usually too much to be covered in one day, so whatever is not dealt with is postponed to the next appropriate day.

Both Houses of Parliament can change the order in which they consider business.

National Assembly

Tuesday 18th March

Bills To Be Dealt With

Two Bills are due to be dealt with by the Assembly:

  • Parks and Wild Life Amendment Bill [link]

The Second Reading of this Bill is due to continue.

  • Persons with Disabilities Bill [link]

This Bill is due to begin its Committee Stage.  Extensive amendments are proposed to the Bill.

International agreement to be ratified
The Assembly will be asked to ratify the African Charter on Statistics, signed in Addis Ababa on the 4th February 2009.
Report of Constitutional Commission to be considered
The Assembly will continue to consider the report of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission for 2023 [link].

Portfolio Committee reports

Reports to be considered for adoption by the Assembly will cover the following topics:

  • Implementation of the digitisation project in Zimbabwe
  • Projects being carried out by Verify Engineering and the National Biotechnology Authority
  • The establishment of a cement plant in Magunje area
  • The state of the electricity supply in Zimbabwe
  • Statelessness of migrants in Zimbabwe
  • Non-communicable diseases, including cancer
  • Meagre pension pay-outs by NSSA
  • Failure by some local authorities to submit financial statements to the Auditor-General
  • Food security in Zimbabwe

Motions on the National Assembly order paper

Motions set to be debated by the Assembly will include the following topics:

  • Urging the promotion of community share ownership schemes in all constituencies
  • Urging the Government to promote sign language
  • Urging improvement in digital infrastructure, in schools and throughout the country
  • Registration of vendors and prohibition against seizure of their wares
  • Reservation of 30 per cent of government tenders for youth-led enterprises
  • Protection of indigenous herbal trees against over-exploitation
  • Urging the Ministry of Finance to ensure that the Women’s Micro Finance Bank fulfils its mandate and to enable women to meet collateral requirements
  • Introducing a separate class of drivers licence for vehicles with automatic transmission
  • Reply to the President’s speech.

Petitions to be considered

  • A petition on lack of piped water supply in Harare and Glenview
  • A petition on menstrual health and hygiene management
  • A petition on the establishment of a nurse aides council.

Wednesday 19th March

Questions set down for answer

Among questions set down for Ministers to answer on Wednesday 5th March are questions on the following issues:

  • Reopening of the Cold Storage Commission and payments to its former employees
  • Compensation for former farm workers displaced during the fast-track land resettlement programme
  • Completion of the Gwai-Tshangane dam to supply water to Matabeleland
  • Government policy on title deeds for farmers
  • Reopening the Bindura Nickel Mine
  • Liquidation of the Commercial Farmers’ Union stake in Kuvimba Mining House
  • The Government’s purchase of the remaining shareholding in Kuvimba Mining House
  • Progress in the IMF’s Staff Monitored Programme and the structured dialogue platform for debt management
  • The ban on the importation of 10-year-old motor vehicles
  • Payment for registration of new vehicles in US dollars
  • Passengers risk insurance
  • Mobilising domestic resources for financing the health sector
  • Payment of devolution funds to local authorities
  • Value of the assets in the Mutapa Investment Fund and production of its financial statements
  • The shareholding of the Hwange Colliery Company
  • Delays in the delivery of judgments, particularly the High Court
  • Ensuring that traditional leaders are non-partisan
  • Establishment of the integrity and ethics committee for chiefs required by section 287 of the Constitution
  • Planning by local authorities
  • Local authorities allocating land to religious organisations
  • Licensing of religious radio stations
  • School drop-outs in 2024
  • Maternal mortality in Zimbabwe
  • Protection of the local sugar industry

SENATE

Tuesday 18th March

Report of Constitutional Commission to be considered
The Senate will be asked to continue debating the report of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission for 2023 [link].
Thematic Committee reports to be considered
The Senate will be asked to adopt reports on:

  • The impact of climate change on human-wildlife conflict
  • Drug and substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation centres
  • Community share ownership trusts

Motions to be dealt with by the Senate

The Senate is expected to debate motions on the following topics:

  • Reply to the President’s speech
  • Expanding irrigation and other measures to combat climate change
  • Expanding access to abortion
  • Protection of constitutional gender rights
  • The condition of sports stadiums in Zimbabwe
  • Recapitalisation of public health care institutions and ensuring they are supplied with medicines
  • Support for livestock farmers
  • Supply of ethanol and blending of fuel
  • Production of illegal alcoholic beverages
  • Improving the conditions of unpaid care and domestic workers
  • Immunisation of children against measles
  • Preventing siltation, deforestation and preserving natural resources
  • Increasing the involvement of women in mining activities

Thursday 19th March

Questions set down for answer

Among questions for Ministers to answer in the Senate on Thursday are questions on the following issues:

  • Measures to protect retail stores against competition from informal traders
  • Protection of consumers from fake products and expired food products, and telling them how to make complaints about product safety
  • Banning police officers from using cell-phones on duty
  • The effects of Zimbabwe’s meddling in Mozambique elections
  • Efficacy of measures against cholera
  • Plans to prevent the construction of illegal structures
  • The pensionable age for employees of local authorities
  • Use of technology to improve service delivery
  • The establishment of the parole board, mandated by the Prisons and Correctional Services Act.

Note: For the latest Status of Bill see [link]