At least six Bills that were before Parliament lapsed after the august House failed to debate and pass them during the First Session of the Ninth Parliament.
The failure by legislators to pass Bills confirmed President Mnangagwa’s concern when he delivered the State of the Nation Address early this month on the slow pace at which laws were being passed, a situation he said resulted in fewer Bills sailing through in the last Session.
Parliament have since given a notice of the lapsing of the Bills in terms of its Standing Orders saying it was up to the legislative assembly to have them restored at the stage at which they were when they lapsed.
“Kindly note that the following Bills lapsed following the end of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament on 26 September 2019: Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency [H. B. 2, 2019]”, Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Amendment [H. B. 4, 2019], Coroner’s Office [H. B. 5, 2019], Freedom of Information [H. B. 6, 2019], Marriages [H. B. 7, 2019] and Zimbabwe Media Commission [H. B. 8, 2019],” read the notice from Parliament.
In terms of Standing Order any public Bill which lapses by reason of the end of a Session before it has been agreed to by the National Assembly and the Senate it might be allowed to proceed with in the next ensuing Session at the stage it had reached in the preceding Session.
More to follow…
