In Parliament This Week : CAB3 Again

Both Houses of Parliament will be sitting this week, and in this Bill Watch we outline the business both Houses are expected to deal with.

Please bear the following points in mind:

• When the National Assembly and the Senate adjourn, they set down all outstanding business on their order papers (i.e. their agendas) for the next appropriate sitting day.  There is usually too much to be covered in one day so whatever is not dealt with is postponed to the next appropriate day.
• Both Houses of Parliament can change the order in which they consider business.
• Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 3) Bill (CAB3):  When the National Assembly adjourned on Friday CAB3 was still undergoing its Second Reading, and this will continue on Tuesday.  The Assembly has suspended its standing orders to allow CAB3 to take precedence over all other business, so the Assembly will continue debating the Bill until it has been put to the vote at the end of its Second Reading.  If, as seems likely, it passes that vote then the Assembly will probably resolve that the remaining stages of the Bill – the Committee Stage and Third Reading – should be taken immediately.  [Note that while the Bill can be passed by a simple majority at its Second Reading and Committee Stages, at its final Third Reading it must be passed by the affirmative votes of at least two-thirds of the membership of the National Assembly – which means that at least two-thirds of all the members of the Assembly must vote for it, not just two-thirds of the members who happen to be present in the House].  Many amendments have been proposed to the Bill and they will be considered at the Committee Stage, so the Assembly seems set to continue dealing with the Bill all through the coming week.  Nonetheless, we have listed the other business on the Assembly’s Order Paper in case the Assembly turns to other matters during the week.

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Tuesday 16th June

Bills to be dealt with:

The Assembly is expected to deal with the following Bills:

• Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 3) Bill [link]

The Second Reading of this Bill is due to continue

As we said earlier, the remaining business will not be dealt with until CAB3 has been completed.

• Biological and Toxin Weapons Crimes Bill [link]

This Bill is due to begin its Second reading

• Police Amendment Bill [link]

This Bill is also due to begin its Second Reading

• Climate Change Management Bill [link]

Amendments made to this Bill in the Committee Stage are due to be considered

• Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Amendment Bill [link]

The Second Reading of This Bill is due to continue

• State Service (Pensions) Bill [link]

Consideration of the Parliamentary Legal Committee’s adverse report on this Bill [link] will continue.

• Mines and Minerals Bill [link]

The Assembly is also due to continue its consideration of the PLC’s adverse report on this Bill.

• Public Service Amendment Bill [link]

Consideration of the PLC’s adverse report on this Bill will continue.

Reports of constitutional and statutory bodies:

The Assembly will deal with the following reports:

• Reports by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on by-elections held in June, August, September and October 2025

Petitions received:

The Assembly will consider reports on the following petitions:

• Petition calling for review of laws relating to senior citizens and pensioners
• Petition on dual administration in Hwange
• Petition on measures to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases
• Petition on the inclusion of women in traditional courts
• Petition on community care-givers

Reports of parliamentary committees:

The Assembly will deal with reports on the following topics:

• 2025 first and second quarter Budget Performance Reports of the Ministries of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and Skills Audit and the Public Service Commission
• 2025 third and fourth quarter Budget Performance Reports on the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development
• Rights of persons with disabilities
• Ministries, state-owned enterprises, parastatals and local authorities not submitting their financial statements to the Auditor-General
• 2025 fourth quarter Budget Performance Report of the Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle
• 2025 first and second quarter Budget Performance Reports of the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services
• 2023 financial statements of the Grain Marketing Board
• 2025 first, second and third quarter budget performance reports of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
• 2023 financial statements of the National Handling Services
• The state of cultural and heritage sites in relation to tourism
• 2025 first and second quarter budget performance reports of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce
• 2023 financial statements of the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA)
• 2020 financial statements of Air Zimbabwe

Motions on the National Assembly order paper:

Motions set to be debated by the Assembly will cover the following topics:

• Reintegration and employment of ex-convicts
• Implementation of the ban on export of unprocessed minerals
• Development of a national open data policy
• Protective gear for CID officers and compensation for officers who are killed while on duty
• Encouraging the establishment of new telecoms service providers
• The award of honorary degrees by non-academic bodies
• Measures to provide equitable care and treatment of diabetes
• The use of artificial intelligence in adjudication of government tenders
• Review of employment tax (PAYE) brackets
• Calling for a policy on unpaid domestic and care work

Wednesday 17th June

Note:  On Wednesdays, questions and other private members’ business normally have precedence over government business in the National Assembly, but the Assembly will almost certainly continue debating CAB3.

Questions set down for answer:

• Subject to what we have said above, Ministers will be called on to answer questions in the National Assembly on the following issues amongst others:
• The validation and securitisation exercise for title deeds
• Statistics on maternal and newborn deaths
• Whether Covid-19 vaccinations caused development and growth disorders among children
• Addressing the grievances of striking nurses
• Protection of teachers and other civil servants who are in conflict with community members
• Clearance of arrear payments under the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM)
• Relocation of the staff of the Matabeleland North provincial government to Lupane from Bulawayo
• Abuse and politicisation of government food aid
• Protection of rape victims from being identified in the media
• Votes for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora
• Compensation for victims of political violence since 1980
• Measures to ensure meaningful public consultation on constitutional amendments, and to safeguard the independence of constitutional commissions
• Private sector funding for youth innovation hubs
• Policies to address marginalisation of rural youths
• Policies to address emigration of educated youths
• Town status for Ruwa
• Policy on conditions of service for senior employees of local authorities
• Measures to allow access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation in high-density urban areas
• Mechanisms for regular audits of service delivery in high-density urban areas
• Lifting the moratorium on processing of applications for change of land use
• Government policy on local authorities billing for water in local currency
• Measures to ensure transparency and accountability in allocation of urban land
• Payment of service charges to local authorities by residents who provide their own services
• Government policy on allowing public access to minutes of urban council meetings
• Whether local authorities are remitting their employees’ pension contributions to the Local Authorities Pension Fund
• Water supply for Chitungwiza
• Measures to ensure that retailers and industries remain in business
• Strategies to end load-shedding by ZESA
• Simplifying reporting of faults to ZESA
• Reimbursement for persons who give ZESA copper wire to replace stolen wire
• The cost of petrol and diesel fuel
• Measures to prevent tourism degrading the environment in the Zambezi Valley, and to prevent poaching in the Valley
• Re-registration of companies referred to in the Global Compensation Deed for compensating dispossessed farmers
• The legality of the Ministry of Finance making payments directly to suppliers of goods and services
• Oversight mechanisms applicable to the Mutapa Investment Fund
• Measures to ensure that all State procurements are done lawfully
• Measures to prevent service providers, e.g. local authorities, from using currency exchange rates other than the official rates
• The protection of citizens, particularly low income earners, from hardship caused by the IMF staff-monitored programme
• Ring-fencing of government social safety nets
• The dispossessed farmers who have been compensated and the amounts paid to them
• Government policy on people keeping large sums in cash
• Management of public debt to ensure transparency and accountability and prevent over-burdening of future generations
• Equitable distribution of national resources to marginalised regions
• Compensation of individuals whose pensions and investments were eroded by hyperinflation
• Revenue generated from sugar tax since 2024 and how it was disbursed
• Negotiation of public-private partnerships without parliamentary approval
• Construction and maintenance of roads, dams and other infrastructure
• Vehicle access toll fees at Beitbridge border post
• The average cost of constructing one kilometre of trunk road
• Motor vehicle exemption tax
• The time taken to register new vehicles
• Government policy on using debt collectors to recover unpaid school fees
• The establishment of schools in high-density urban areas for children with special needs
• Statistics of girls dropping out of schools due to pregnancy
• Government policy on CAMPFIRE
• When the national soccer team will use local stadiums for international and regional matches
• Beneficiaries of the agricultural inputs distribution programme
• Support for small-scale farmers to access export markets
• Identities of title-deed holders whose farms will be returned to them
• Conservation measures to address declining soil fertility
• Measures for the welfare and empowerment of war veterans
• Whether it is government policy to protect Zanu-PF members from arrest for crimes
• Details of the contract entered into by the Government for the production of passports
• Government policy regarding harassment of Zimbabweans in South Africa.

Thursday 18th June

The Assembly will continue with business left over from Tuesday and Wednesday – probably CAB3.

THE SENATE

Tuesday 16th June

[Note:  The Senate will not consider CAB3 until it has been passed by the National Assembly.]

Bill to be dealt with:

The Senate is expected to deal with the following Bill:

• Occupational Safety and Health Bill [link]

This Bill is due to undergo its Second Reading

Reports of constitutional and statutory commissions to be considered:

The Senate is expected to consider the following reports:

• Reports of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on by-elections held in June, August, September and October 2025
• 2024 annual report of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission

Petition received:

The Senate will consider a report on the following petition:

• Petition calling for a review of laws relating to senior citizens

Parliamentary committee reports to be considered:

The Senate is expected to consider reports on the following topics:

• Impact of the Youth Empowerment Bank on projects for youth empowerment
• The state of wetlands in Harare
• The state of our heritage, culture and monuments in relation to tourism

Motions to be dealt with by the Senate:

The Senate is expected to debate motions on the following topics:

• Encouraging employment of youths
• Measures to prevent homelessness
• Resuscitating the cotton industry
• Combating non-communicable diseases
• Promoting responsive and accountable service delivery by local authorities
• Measures to conserve water resources
• Relocation of rural homesteads
• Measures to deal with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia
• Measures to prevent children under 16 having access to harmful social media
• Measures to protect and increase the national cattle herd
• Resuscitating the manufacturing sector
• Reply to the President’s speech

Wednesday 17th June

International agreement to be approved:

The Senate will be asked to approve the following international agreement:

• Convention Establishing the International Organisation for Mediation (2025)

Motion to be dealt with:

• Measures to protect children against abuse among communities

After that, the Senate will continue with business not dealt with on Tuesday

Thursday 18th June

Questions set down for answer:

The following questions have been tabled for Ministers to answer in the Senate on Thursday:

• Measures to mitigate the suspension of visas to the USA
• The inclusion of elderly farmers in the Pfumfudza agricultural support programme
• Revival of the district tillage mechanisation support programme
• Consultation with communities before mining claims are pegged in Communal Lands

Bills Being Considered by the Parliamentary Legal Committee

The PLC is considering the following Bills:

• National Drug, Substance Abuse Control and Enforcement Agency Bill [link]
• Whistle Blowers and Witness Protection Bill [link]
• Deposit Protection Corporation Amendment Bill [link]

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied.