Constitutional Bill sails through Senate

The Herald

By Farirai Machivenyika and Lloyd Gumbo

15 May 2013

SENATE yesterday passed the Constitutional Amendment (No. 20) Bill with minor amendments that will be considered by the House of Assembly today before it is sent to President Mugabe for his assent.

The amendments were proposed by Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga during committee stage and were adopted by the House.

The amendments deal with the wording of some clauses in the document.
All the 75 senators in attendance voted for the passing of the Bill, surpassing the required two-thirds majority threshold.

The senators immediately broke into song and dance as they sang a revolutionary song “Zimbabwe nyika yedu yababa”.
In his debate during the second reading of the Bill, Chief Musarurwa called on political parties to ensure that elections are held as soon as possible.

“I want to thank Zimbabweans for the unity they showed in writing this Constitution. I also want to commend the provisions of the Bill empowering traditional leaders because before that our powers were not enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.

“Now that we have the Constitution, we should go ahead with elections because people are united and do not have to be afraid of each other. The unity we showed in writing the Constitution should be exhibited by the parties in ensuring that we have elections as soon as possible.

“We do not agree with proposals that they should be held in October or November because Zimbabweans will be focused on agricultural activities so elections should be held soon so that the country moves forward.”

Zanu-PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo said the writing of a new Constitution by Zimbabweans was an historic occasion.
“This is a historic day for our liberated and sovereign State of Zimbabwe. We are about to seal the authoring of a new supreme law of the land.

“This Constitutional Bill is a product from the people of this great land . . . it is home grown and smells of no foreign ingredients. The voice of the people is the voice of God. Who then can challenge God? The people of Zimbabwe exercised their God-given right to express themselves,” he said.

Cde Khaya Moyo commended the provisions of the Bill for acknowledging the liberation struggle and irreversibility of land reform.
“I am very elated that the Constitutional Bill enshrines the nobility of our liberation struggle and also clearly takes cognisance of our land reform programme as irreversible and our march towards economic emancipation clearly. It, of course, takes our women folk in good stead. Let us support Minister Matinenga to ensure that this Bill sails through today,” he said.

Minister Matinenga urged Zimbabweans to respect the new Constitution if passed into law.
“Having a good Constitution alone in itself is not sufficient . . . we need to respect the Constitution and the laws made therein. We need to develop a culture of constitutionalism,” he said.

Minister Matinenga said the new constitution whose journey had been long and arduous had a number of positives compared to the Lancaster House Constitution.

He said the new Constitution had a preamble which was not in the current Constitution, adding that the preamble recognised the supremacy of God.

“This Bill of Rights compares with any other in the world. This Bill is very expansive . . . It addresses socio-economic rights. We need to thank God because we are where we are today because of His grace,” said Minister Matinenga.

He said the Bill outlawed abortion and homosexuality contrary to claims by some church members that it condoned the two.
MDC-T’s senator Mrs Sekai Holland appealed to male legislators to embrace affirmative action to increase the number of female legislators in Parliament.

MDC Senator for Kumalo Mr David Coltart hailed the passage of the new constitution, saying it marked a new beginning for Zimbabwe. He acknowledged the pain Zimbabweans were subjected to by the white colonial regime but called on the nation to move on.

Meanwhile, Zanu-PF chief whip Cde Jorum Gumbo has called on all Lower House members to attend today’s session to consider amendments proposed by the Upper House.

After the considerations, the Bill would then be sent to President Mugabe for his assent and become the country’s national law.