Parly sets framework for next term

THE Parliament of Zimbabwe is conducting a seminar in Bulawayo on its institutional strategic plan to review the 2018 to 2023 operations of the Ninth Parliament and come up with recommendations to guide the 10th Parliament while buttressing the ideals of Vision 2030.

The seminar began yesterday and seeks to improve the crafting of the next institutional strategic plan of the Parliament, thereby strengthening its capacity and operational relations with other arms of the State.

Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda gave the keynote address at the launch of the seminar and said the institutional strategic plan being examined and assessed reflected the priorities of the Ninth Parliament.

“We are looking at the Parliamentary Strategic Plan, 2018-2023 covering a period of five years. We are looking at the key result areas of the institutional strategic plan to see how best we can improve, as we craft the next strategic plan of Parliament, focusing on six key result areas,” he said.

“In that regard, my presence here is to encourage our staff to exercise their minds in analysing the current institutional strategic plan as a point of departure as they craft and present the next institutional strategic plan,” said Adv Mudenda.

He said the existing plan has pointed to a few challenges to which Parliament staffers will present mitigating factors to improve on the next institutional strategic plan.

Adv Mudenda said that in their vision and mission as the Parliament of Zimbabwe, they strove to be strong, independent, people-driven, and world-class.

“Our mission is to protect the Constitution, make laws for good governance, effectively represent the people, and hold the executive and public institutions to account,” he said.

“With the actions proposed in this strategic plan, Parliament will contribute to the attainment of Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, which seeks to achieve an upper middle-income status by 2030 in a sustainable and equitable manner in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Adv Mudenda said Parliament supported the attainment of a prosperous Zimbabwe by fostering sustainable and equitable benefits to all people.

“This goal will be achieved by strengthening the Constitutional mandate of Parliament as well as the supportive framework for the work of Parliament,” he said.

Among the key results, Adv Mudenda said they envisaged delivering an effective oversight on all institutions and agencies of the State and Government at every level, timely passing of laws that are consistent with the Constitution, and effective representation of people.

The mandate extends to effective analysis, scrutiny, and approval of the national budget, timely approval and domestication of international treaties, protocols, and agreements as well as effective administration of Parliament.

Adv Mudenda said the 2018-2023 institutional strategic plan was a bold statement of strategic intent by the just-ended Ninth Parliament of Zimbabwe in making a quantum leap in the evolutionary reform process by enhancing Parliamentary and participatory democracy, which must cement Parliament’s indispensable role in the national governance matrix.

The meeting ends tomorrow.