JUSTICE minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told Prliament last week that the yet-to-be passed Devolution Bill will deal with illegal vendors who continue to violate municipal by-laws.
Devolution entails the transfer of power from the central government to the local authorities. However, lack of an operationalisation Act has made it difficult for councils to function effectively.
Responding to a question from Nketa Member of Parliament Phelela Masuku (MDC-T) who had inquired when the Bill would be passed into law, Ziyambi said: “We have realised that there are certain crimes that occur within the municipal area, like vending crimes and some of the traffic crimes. The municipal court should surely be dealing with that. So, we are working to ensure that we get to that. It is work in progress between my ministry and the Local Government and Public Works ministry.”
Mutare Central MP Muchi Chinyanganya (CCC) cast doubt that the Devolution Bill would ever be passed into law.
“Since 2018, we have been asking when the Devolution Bill is going to be presented in Parliament,” Chinyanganya said.
“So, my question to the Hon Minister is: When should we expect the Local Authorities Bill and the Provincial Councils Bill to be presented before Parliament?”
Another legislator, Rusty Markham (CCC) inquired if there have been any consultations pertaining to the Bill.
Ziyambi claimed that the Bill would be finalised before the current Parliament is dissolved ahead of the elections.
- Devolution Bill to address illegal vending: Govt
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“We are about to go to elections and some of the issues in that Bill pertains to provincial councillors and we cannot go for a third election without resolving it,” he added.
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