President assents to Land Commission Bill
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has signed into law the Land Commission Act, paving the way for the establishment of a commission that will advise Government on land management and carrying out periodic audits.
This was announced by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda in an Extraordinary Government Gazette published this week.
“The following law, which has been assented to by His Excellency the President, is published in terms of section 131 (16) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” read the notice published by Dr Sibanda.
During debate, Parliament rejected proposed amendments by traditional leaders to have them included in the Land Commission.
The National Assembly shot down the decision by Senate to include amendments by traditional leaders in the commission.
In an interview, president of chiefs’ council, Chief Fortune Charumbira said they remained hopeful that concerns they raised with President Mnangagwa would be addressed.
“I have not yet seen the Government Gazette assenting to the law,” he said. “But be that as it may, we remain hopeful that Government will attend to our concerns in respect of that law.
“We have confidence that President Mnangagwa will convene, as per his assurance to us in Gweru, a meeting with all stakeholders to deliberate our concerns.”
President Mnangagwa told the Chiefs’ Council conference last year in Gweru that he was seized with the Bill and was keen to consult on how their concerns could be accommodated.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces said he would call the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi and Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Cde July Moyo, among other stakeholders, to see how concerns by chiefs could be taken on board.
This was after the National Assembly adopted an Adverse Report issued by the Parliamentary Legal Committee, which said inclusion of chiefs in the Land Commission was not consistent with the Constitution.
In its report, the PLC said the management of agricultural land was solely under the Land Commission as required by the Constitution.
It said the Constitution was clear that the roles of the Land Commission and the traditional leaders did not merge.