Chinamasa does the honourable thing- chooses to consult the public over the bond notes bill

Full debate:

SUSPENSION OF PROVISIONS OF STANDING ORDERS NUMBER 134, 135, 136 AND 139

(i)  Standing Order No. 134, which relates to the introduction of Bills;

(ii)  Standing Order No. 135, which relates to the referral of Bills to Portfolio Committees;

(iii)  Standing Order No. 136, which relates to the procedure in connection with the Parliamentary Legal Committee; and

(iv) Standing Order No. 139, which relates to stages of Bills.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA):  Mr. Speaker Sir, following my discussion with you and also following from the announcement you have just made about public consultations in respect of the Reserve Bank Bill, I want to move Mr. Speaker Sir, that I amend my motion so that it only relates to paragraph (i) that is Standing Order No. 134, which relates to the introduction of Bills.  So, the amended motion that I want to put forward for the approval of the august House should read as follows;

That the provisions of Standing Order No. 134, which relate to the introduction of Bills, be suspended in respect of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill (H.B 12, 2016).  I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.

  THE HON. SPEAKER:  Hon. Minister, while you are up standing, I thought you did not mean to say Standing Order No. 1234 but the first Standing Order No. 134.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOMENT (HON. CHINAMASA):  Yes, 134.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  It is for the record, otherwise it will reflect as Standing Order No. 1234.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOMENT (HON. CHINAMASA):  Standing Order No. 134, which relates to the introduction of Bills, be suspended in respect of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill (H.B. 12, 2016).

HON. CHAMISA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker.  I am heartened by the stance that has been taken by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development because it is in line with the dictates of our Constitution.  As you may know, there are things that we may suspend but there are things that are unsuspendable; we cannot suspend the Constitution.  I am very glad that the Hon. Minister has seen it fit and deemed necessary to make sure that the people of Zimbabwe, the public, all stakeholders are indeed consulted in this very important process.  It is indeed Hon. Speaker, in line with the dictates of our Constitution as I have already indicated because Section 141 of the Constitution, in particular subsection 9(a), ‘Parliament as a duty must’, it is a must not may, must and you know the significance Hon. Advocate, ‘facilitate public involvement in all legislative processes and it must also ensure that interested parties are consulted about the Bills’.

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