What Zimbabwe MPs said about the Constitution Amendment Bill

HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Mr. Chair, I stand guided. What does the Short Title say? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – No, I am asking what the Short Title says.

THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON: The Short Title is just a title and nothing else.

HON. P. D. SIBANDA: It says Amendment No. 1. Is it not so? It is true that the title is the amendment to the Constitution and I am speaking to the amendment to the Constitution. I am not going beyond that Hon. Chair but I am within the Short Title. So, I am basically arguing that the amendment, this Short Title which is the amendment to the Constitution No. 1 is not…

THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON: Then you can ask for an amendment on the Short Title but that is not the case. It is only the Short Title that we should debate to. Hon. Sibanda, please stand guided and you may continue.

HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Hon. Chair, the Short Title states that this is an Amendment No. 1 to the Constitution of Zimbabwe. That is what it is saying. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – I am saying this Amendment No 1 of the Constitution is contrary to the will of the people of the country. That is what I am simply saying Hon. Chair. I am not going beyond that and I am not debating the merits or anything else. I am simply saying if we look at this Amendment No. 1 Hon. Chair, it violates some of those key fundamental principles that were laid down in this Constitution.

HON. ZIYAMBI: Mr. Chairman, if we are going to go clause by clause, the first clause is Short Title and it merely states that this Act may be sighted as the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 1 Act.

 Hon. Majome having stood up.

HON.  ZIYAMBI: How do you raise a point of order against a point of order? Mr. Chairman, if we are to proceed, let us focus ourselves on whether this short title is correct or not. If it is Amendment No. 1, then we proceed, but if we are to go into the merits of what is below it and not discuss whether this is number one, we have gone outside the jurisdiction of what we are doing pertaining to Clause 1.

HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Hon. Chair, I appreciate that this is an opinion coming from the other side, but it is not a fact. It is merely an opinion that my elder brother is giving. We appreciate his opinion but he should also listen to our opinions. So Hon. Chair, I am saying…

 Hon. Maridadi having stood up to make a point of order.

THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON: Order Hon. Members. We do not want to waste time by making point of orders. I am only giving you that chance and no more. You are to debate not to your point of order.

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