President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reminded the Legislature of its obligation to ensure the enactment of all outstanding Bills.
The call was made during Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address and the official opening of the second session of the 10th Parliament at Parliament building in Mt Hampden on Wednesday.
“May I preface the legislative segment of my address by highlighting that Parliament has an obligation to expedite the enactment of all Bills that, for one reason or another, are outstanding from previous sessions of the August House,” he said.
The list includes Bills relating to: Persons with Disabilities; Administration of Estates Amendment; Civil Aviation Amendment; Death Penalty Abolition; Parks and Wildlife Amendment; Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment; and Mines and Minerals Amendment.
They also include the Medical Services Amendment and the Insurance and Pensions Amendment.
The second category, Mnangagwa said, comprised Bills that came to light since his last address, but which ministries never forwarded to Parliament.
“I also challenge parliamentary portfolio committees to be seized with the business of Bills that fall under their respective purviews. All concerned parties must address these anomalies for the collective good of our nation,” Mnangagwa said.
The first session of the 10th Parliament has been poor in terms of output with one Bill having been passed — the Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons) — which was assented to by Mnangagwa last month.
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The Bill was gazetted in March this year.
Thirteen Bills were introduced to Parliament during the first session of the 10th Parliament.
Parliament appears to be sleeping at the wheel.
For instance, there were four Bills that sailed through the Ninth Parliament, but were not delivered to the President for assent and signature before the dissolution of the Ninth Parliament.
These are Child Justice Bill, Insurance and Pensions Commission Amendment Bill and Financial Adjustments Bill.
Going by the current pace, the 10th Parliament will pass five Bills for presidential assent during its life, a dismal performance that reflects badly on the second republic which promised to be different from its predecessors.
Lawmaking is one of the core functions of the Legislature in addition to consenting to taxation and control of public expenditure and debating government policy and scrutiny of government administration.
The poor performance by the Legislature shows that it has abdicated its role.
We exhort lawmakers to exert the same vigour to lawmaking as they put when debating their condition of service.
A Legislature that abandons its primary role of lawmaking will be found wanting in holding the Executive to account.
And when the Executive reminds the Legislature to do its job, like Mnangagwa did on Wednesday, it reflects badly on the effectiveness of the latter which we think has sunk to a new low. If one of the three arms of State sneezes, the State catches a cold as there won’t be checks and balances.
May real lawmakers please stand up.
