Parly opening date set

PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday proclaimed September 12 as a day for the official opening of the Fifth Session of the Eighth Parliament.

The President is expected to set the legislative agenda for the new session.

The announcement was contained in a proclamation published in the Government Gazette on Thursday this week.

President Mugabe proclaimed the date in terms of Section 146 of the Constitution, which says the President may summon Parliament at any time to conduct special business and no more than 180 days may elapse between the sittings of the House.

“Now, therefore, under and by virtue of the powers vested in the President as aforesaid, and as resolved by Parliament on the 18th of September, 2013, I do hereby, by this my Proclamation, fix (a) Parliament Building, Harare, as the place at which the Official Opening of the Fifth Session of the Eighth Parliament of Zimbabwe shall be held and (b) twelve o’clock noon on Tuesday the 12th of September, 2017, as the time and date at which the Fifth Session of the Eighth Parliament of Zimbabwe shall begin,” read the proclamation.

Bills likely to be on the next Parliament legislative agenda which are at various stages of enactment include the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, which is set for its second reading in the National Assembly; the Estate Administrators Bill; Shop Licences Amendment Bill, Insolvency Bill, National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Amendment Bill, the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill and the Public Entities Corporate Governance Bill.

In a statement yesterday, Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda announced that Nelson Mandela Avenue will be closed from Sam Nujoma Street to Simon Muzenda Street (Fourth Street), Third Street at Jason Moyo Avenue, George Silundika Avenue at Third Street, St Mary’s Lane at Nelson Mandela Avenue and Kwame Nkrumah Avenue from Sam Nujoma to Simon Muzenda Street (Fourth Street).

The roads will be closed on Tuesday from 6am to 3pm.