Veritas Bill Watch Special of 7th February 2010 [Parliamentary Committee Meetings 8th - 12th February]

BILL WATCH SPECIAL

[7th February 2010]

See End for Brief Summaries of Last Weeks Meetings of: the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs hearing of oral evidence from the Chief Magistrate and Attorney General on the state of the justice delivery system; and, the Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy meeting with the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe, Minerals Unit Zimbabwe Republic Police and Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.

House of Assembly Portfolio Committees and Senate Thematic Committees: 8th to 12th February

The meetings listed below are open to members of the public, but as observers only, not as participants.  [See note at the end of this bulletin on public attendance/participation at different types of committee meetings.] Meetings of wide public interest are the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs which will be hearing from Hon Gonese on his POSA Amendment Bill;  and, the Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy which will be hearing from the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.

Monday 8th February at 10 am

Portfolio Committee: Transport and Infrastructure Development

Oral evidence from Air Zimbabwe board members, Committee Room No. 1

Chairperson:  Hon Chebundo                         Clerk:  Ms Macheza

Portfolio Committee: Defence and Home Affairs

Oral evidence from Hon Gonese on his POSA Amendment Bill, Committee Room No. 2

Chairperson:  Hon Madzore                            Clerk:  Mr Daniel

Public Accounts Committee

Oral evidence from Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Committee Room No. 4

Chairperson:  Hon Mashakada                        Clerk:  Mrs Nyawo

Portfolio Committee: Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism

Oral evidence from Minister on resolutions of Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, Committee Room No. 311

Chairperson:  Hon P. Dube                             Clerk:  Mr Munjenge

Portfolio Committee: Mines and Energy

Oral evidence from Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, Committee Room No. 413

Chairperson:  Hon Chindori-Chininga             Clerk:  Mr Manhivi

Monday 8th February at 2 pm

Thematic Committee: Gender and Development

Oral evidence from Ministry of Youth, Committee Room No.  3

Chairperson:  Hon Chitsa                                Clerk:  Mrs Khumalo

Portfolio Committee: Budget, Finance, Economic Planning, Investment Promotion

Oral evidence from the Secretary for Finance on the budget calendar, Committee Room No. 4

Chairperson:  Hon Zhanda                              Clerk:  Mr Ratsakatika

Portfolio Committee: Justice, Legal Affairs, Constitutional, Parliamentary Affairs

Oral evidence from councillors of the Law Society of Zimbabwe, Committee Room No. 413

Chairperson:  Hon T. Matutu                            Clerk:  Miss Zenda

Tuesday 9th February at 9 am

Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Water, Lands and Resettlement

Oral evidence from Mr. Mvududu and ARDA board, Committee Room No. 4

Chairperson:  Hon Jiri                                      Clerk:  Miss Mudavanhu

Tuesday 9th February at 10 am

Thematic Committee: MDGs

Oral evidence from Ministry of Labour and Public Service, Committee Room No.  1

Chairperson:  Hon Chief Mtshane                   Clerk:  Mrs Nyawo

Portfolio Committee: Health and Child Welfare

Oral evidence from Ministry officials on 2010 budget priorities and targets, Committee Room No. 1

Chairperson:  Hon Parirenyatwa                      Clerk:  Mr Ndlovu

Portfolio Committee: Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, International Trade

Oral evidence from CEO of Zimbabwe Investment Authority, Committee Room No. 3

Chairperson:  Hon Mukanduri                          Clerk:  Ms Macheza

Thursday 11th February at 10 am

Thematic Committee: Human Rights

Meeting with Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Committee Room No. 2

Chairperson:  Hon Marava                               Clerk:  Ms Macheza

Portfolio Committee: Media, Information and Communication Technology

Oral evidence from Information Society Initiatives Trust, Committee Room No. 413

Chairperson:  Hon Chimanikire                       Clerk:  Mrs Nyawo

Thursday 11th February at 11 am

Thematic Committee: Indigenisation and Empowerment

Oral evidence from officials of Gulf Complex and Cross Border Traders Association, Government Caucus Room

Chairperson:  Hon Mutsvangwa                      Clerk:  Mr Ratsakatika

Public Attendance at and Participation in Committee Meetings

These portfolio and thematic committee meetings are open to the public to attend as observers only.  Members of the public wishing to attend a meeting should telephone Parliament first [on Harare 700181], to check with the relevant committee clerk that the meeting has not been cancelled.  If you are attending, please use the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue entrance to Parliament.  IDs must be produced.  Members of the public are only free to participate when committees call public hearings.  Veritas will send out separate notices of these public hearings and outline the procedures.  Committees also sometimes have meetings where invited stakeholders [and those who notify Parliament that they consider themselves stakeholders and are accepted as such] are able to make representations and ask questions.  These meetings will be highlighted in these notices.  Portfolio and thematic committees meetings for deliberations are not open to the public, and these are not listed in these notices.

Important Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Meetings this Week

[Official Committee reports will be made available once tabled in Parliament]

The Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs, Constitutional  and Parliamentary Affairs, chaired by Hon. Tongai Matutu, met on 1st February to hear oral evidence from the Chief Magistrate and Attorney-General on the state of the justice delivery system.  Attorney-General Johannes Tomana conceded that malice, corruption, misjudgment and human error on the part of his law officers could not be ruled out in their use of  section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.  Use of this section has the effect of keeping the accused in custody for an additional seven days to give the State time to appeal the granting of bail.  [Note: this section has been frequently used against human rights defenders and legitimate political activists and in most cases the State did not bother to file an appeal within the 7 days, and those appeals filed were dismissed as being groundless, so the only purpose served was that of harassment.]

The Committee on Mines and Energy heard evidence from the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe [MMCZ], Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation [ZMDC] and the Police Minerals Unit.  Committee chairperson Hon Chindori-Chininga noted carelessness on government's part in the mining and marketing of Chiadwa diamonds.  He said a blind eye had been cast on irregular and unprocedural activities in the sector, and the committee did not want to be associated with corruption.  These comments followed the revelation that MMCZ did not in fact have a written agreement with Mbada Diamond Mining Company.  Mbada was said to have an agreement with the Government giving it marketing rights outside MMCZ, but no evidence to this effect was produced.  The committee dismissed MMCZ, ZMDC and police claims that they had had no prior knowledge of Mbada's attempted auction of diamonds on 7th January.  The auction was only halted after public outcry and the negative publicity associated with the intended sale, and committee members expressed concern about the adverse effects this would have when Kimberly Process certification is sought.  [Note: on 4th February the Deputy Sheriff took diamonds from MMCZ to the Reserve Bank for safe custody in terms of the Chief Justice's order dated 25th January; but later the same day the diamonds were removed from the Reserve Bank by police, in apparent reliance on a more recent direction from the Chief Justice conveyed to the MMCZ lawyers by the Supreme Court Registrar.]

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