BILL WATCH

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES SERIES 32/2022

[20th August 2022]

Open Committee Meetings This Week
Monday 22nd, Tuesday 23rd, Wednesday 24th & Friday 26th August

There are open portfolio committee and thematic committee meetings scheduled for this week.  These are meetings that are open to attendance by members of the public as observers only are scheduled for this week, as shown below: 

Monday 22nd August  at 10 am

Public Accounts Committee [PAC]

Oral evidence from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning on the over-expenditure for the years 2015 to 2018. 

Physical meeting.

Venue: Senate Chamber.

Note by Veritas:  There is a substantial background to this item.  The over-expenditure was one of the non-compliance issues raised in a PAC report in July 2019 [link].  The PAC demanded that a Financial Adjustments Bill be presented to condone the over-expenditure, as required by section 307 of the Constitution, but the Bill [link] gazetted in November 2019 was criticised as unsatisfactory by Veritas [link] and never proceeded with.  There the matter has remained, with the PAC continuing its efforts to get an explanation of this inaction from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, so far in vain.  Meanwhile a separate Financial Adjustments Bill, 2022, has been gazetted dealing with over-expenditure in the years 2019 and 2020 [link] and commented on by Veritas [link].

Monday 22nd August at 2 pm

Thematic Committee: HIV & AIDS

Oral evidence from the Ministry of Health and Child Care on:

1)   Food aid and nutrition support for people living with HIV & AIDS;

2)   Cancer services for people living with HIV & AIDS.

Physical meeting.

Venue: National Assembly Chamber.

Joint Portfolio Committee:  ICT, Postal and Courier Services and Primary and Secondary Education

Oral evidence from the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services: on progress made towards the implementation of the National E-Learning Strategy in schools.

Physical meeting.

Venue: Senate Chamber.

Tuesday 23rd August at 10 am

Portfolio Committee: Local Government and Public Works

Oral evidence from Brave Little Hearts Zimbabwe on their petition regarding the plight of children living with heart disease conditions, both congenital and acquired.

Hybrid of ZOOM and Physical meeting

Venue: National Assembly chamber.

Wednesday 24th August at 10 am

Portfolio Committee: Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation

Oral evidence from the  Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation on:

1)   the petition from the National Association of Youth Organisations regarding the need for Government to reconsider the proposed re-introduction of the National Youth Service Programme;

2)   progress made towards (a) the development of the National Youth Bill and (b) the outstanding appointment of the remaining Zimbabwe Youth Council Board members

Hybrid of ZOOM and Physical meeting

Venue: National Assembly Chamber.

Friday 26th August at 10 am

Portfolio Committee: Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services

Consultations on the ` [H.B. 5, 2022]. 

Physical meeting.

Venue: National Assembly Chamber.

Note by Veritas:  This is a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Hon Dr Murire MP with the permission of the National Assembly. A soft copy of the Bill is available on the Veritas website here [link] together with amendments to the gazetted Bill proposed by Hon Murire and listed on the National Assembly Order Paper for consideration in due course [link].  Veritas has not yet commented on this Bill.

How to Follow Virtual and Hybrid Open Meetings on the ZOOM Platform

For assistance in following the proceedings in virtual and hybrid open meetings on the ZOOM platform as observers, interested persons should contact the following for the meeting ID and passcode:

Parliament’s Public Relations Office, Tel: +263 242 700181-6  or  +263 242 252936 – 55.