What Zimbabwe MPs said about the Constitution Amendment Bill

There has been a lot of interest in the heated debate that ensued in Parliament on Tuesday, 20 June, over the Constitution Amendment Bill which seeks to give the President powers to appoint the top three judicial officers of the nation. The constitution says they must be selected after interviews. For the benefit of our readers were hereby serialize the debate.

Heated debate as Constitution amendment bill reaches committee stage

COMMITTEE STAGE

CONSTITUTION OF ZIMBABWE AMENDMENT (No. 1) BILL [H.B. 1, 2017]

First Order read: Committee Stage: Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 1) Bill [H.B. 1, 2017].

House in Committee.

On Clause 1:

HON. GONESE:  Thank you very much Mr. Chairman.  In respect of this Bill, I really want to plead with the Hon. Vice President. I really want to beg the Hon. Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe to reconsider bringing this Bill.  I know that at the Second Reading, the Hon. Vice President supported the Bill and moved for its Second Reading but I think upon reflection, I believe that the import of passing this Bill is really to thumb our noses at the people of Zimbabwe.

As we indicated during the Second Reading debate, there are a lot of people who are of the opinion that we should not be bringing this particular Bill at this particular point in time.  In respect of those sentiments, I really want to ask the Hon. Vice President to have a rethink because I do not believe that this Bill really is necessary and for that reason Mr. Chairman Sir, I am saying if there is no need for this particular Bill to be brought, if there is no justification for this august House to be passing a Constitution Amendment Bill then it would be appropriate for us to say that this clause, I know that it is normally the Short Title which describes what we are supposed to be doing. If we were to have a reconsideration,  I think that the best course of action would be simply to say that no, we cannot go along with the Short Title because we should not be going along with that Bill.

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