During the commemoration of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance held on 30 August 2019, five leading human rights organisations called on African states to end the use of enforced disappearances and ensure justice and reparations for thousands of victims in Africa. They argued that for decades, thousands of people including government…
By Farai Chirimumimba It’s fair to say that the government is now trolling sections 56 and 59 of the Constitution that talk of equal treatment before the law and give citizens right to peaceful demonstrations respectively. I hope the courts haven’t decided to be concocted in this shame. In a recent press conference, the minister…
By Abigail Mzimbawakhe (Midlands Correspondent) Two juveniles from Gokwe North who sold a flash disc that they had stolen were recently arraigned before Magistrate Shotgame Masaiwona after it was found with a man from their neighborhood. It is alleged that Principal Tatenda Makumbirofa was found with the flash disc that matched the one that was…
The MDC National Organiser Amos Chibaya was yesterday arrested and charged with failing to take steps to stop the demonstrations called for by his party starting 16 August 2019. Chibaya was the convener of the MDC’s proposed peaceful demonstrations in four cities that were later foiled by the police after they issued four prohibition orders…
The Heads of Mission of the Delegation of the European Union, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom and the Heads of Mission of Australia, Canada and the United States of America have urged the government of Zimbabwe to uphold human rights and respect freedom of assembly. In a joint statement,…
By Tendai Guvamombe The Harare City Council and the Environmental Management Agency are under fire for allowing invasion of wetlands in the old suburbs of Mabvuku and Tafara amid reports that residents are grappling with water shortages as springs drying are up. This was revealed on Thursday last week during a meeting on Wetlands Preservation…
By Joyce Mukucha Sunny Yi Feng Tiles Zimbabwe, a Chinese factory company in Norton has been accused of violations and non-compliance issues by neglecting to comply with the Environmental Impact Assessment thereby posing serious damages to the surrounding environment. In his letter to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Member of the House of Assembly for Norton Constituency…
By Owami Sithole Adolescents continue to experience challenges in accessing reproductive health services be it in schools and communities because of a limit imposed by the age of consent law in Zimbabwe, COMPASS-ACT has said. This has led to challenges such as unwanted pregnancies, HIV and AIDS, abortions and STIs among adolescents. Munyaradzi Chimwara, the…
By Staff Reporter The Pan-African Parliamentary (PAP) Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources recently came up with this draft model law on food security and nutrition in Africa whose main objective is to strengthen and consolidate positions on food security and nutrition, as well as the right to adequate food. The model…
The African Court on Human and People’s Rights (AfCHPR) is in Zimbabwe on a sensitisation mission with a view of promoting the Pan African Judicial Organ. “These visits will help raise awareness of the Court’s existence and encourage African States to ratify the Protocol establishing the Court and make the Declaration to allow individuals and…
By Staff Reporter The Inter-Parliament Union (IPU) President Gabriela Cuevas Barrons pledged to work closely with Africa as a token of appreciation for the support they gave her in the run-up to IPU presidential elections in 2017. Addressing the just ended 10th Conference of Speakers of African Assemblies and Senate during the ongoing Pan-African Parliament’s…
By Staff Reporter The Association of Secretaries-General of African Parliaments (ASGAP) recently elected the new leadership during the Ordinary Session of the Permanent Committee Sittings of the Pan African Parliament Fifth Parliament in Midrand, South Africa. According to their constitution ASGAP is an institution-based and a consultative forum, established by voluntarily association under the auspices…
Politician and eminent businessman, Mr. Joseph Makamba (JM) Busha has said investigations into corruption at the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) should date back to the 1990s and not start and end with arrested former Minister Priscah Mupfumira. “The corruption at NSSA is not new at all. The entity might have been prejudiced of billions…
Delegates at the just ended 10th Conference of Speakers of African Assemblies and Senates have proposed an extension to the dedication period regarding this year’s African Union theme on forced migration. The African Union theme for this year is “Finding durable solutions to forced migration to accelerate integration and development in Africa: the role of…
The MDC alliance has described as “brazen act of political thuggery” the move by government to withhold the MDC grant entitled to the party under the Political Parties Finance Act while Zanu PF has already been paid their dues. The party reported that the past one week has seen top MDC officials being sent from…
As part of its comprehensive efforts to observe the Lupane East Constituency National Assembly, Nkayi Rural District Council (RDC) Ward 23 and Bubi RDC Ward 22 by-elections, for the Lupane East constituency by-election, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) deployed 14 long-term observers who also observed at the ward collation centre on Election Day and…
Peace and Security status on the continent will take centre stage in Egypt when the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolutions meets in Cairo as part of the August Sittings of the Permanent Committees of the 5th Parliament of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), from 02 to 10 August 2019. Hosted by the Egyptian…
The August Sittings of the Permanent Committees of the fifth Parliament of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) are scheduled to be held from 02 to 10 August 2019 at the seat of the continental Parliament in Midrand, South Africa. The August Sittings will be guided by the African Union theme of 2019; ‘Year of Refugees, Returnees and…
By Veritas On Friday 5th July the Freedom of Information Bill was published in the Gazette; it is available on the Veritas website [Link]. It is the first of three Bills the Government intends to present in Parliament to replace the much-criticised Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act [AIPPA]. In fact the Bill has little…
By Tatenda Mujeyi Cabinet ratified the Beijing Treaty on Audio and Visual performances in a development that will ensure that artists will benefit from their work. “Cabinet considered and approved the Ratification of the Beijing Treaty on Audio Visual Performances which was presented by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs,” the Chairperson of…
Adverse Report by Parliamentary Legal Committee By Veritas On the 24th July the Deputy Speaker of Parliament announced that the Parliamentary Legal Committee had issued an adverse report on the Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill, meaning that the Committee had found some provisions of the Bill to be unconstitutional. The report can be seen on…
By Farai Chirimumimba For four months, one seat in National Assembly has sat empty. Three more have been vacant for the past month. That the seats are empty in the first place was an affront of nature. The previous incumbents, elected only in 2018, died less than a year in office. The first seat fell…
By Veritas The Government’s long-awaited Marriages Bill, which is intended to consolidate our marriage law and bring it into line with the Constitution, was published in the Gazette on the 19th July. It can be viewed and downloaded on the Veritas website[link]. Background to the Bill Ever since the 1980s the Government has wanted to amend and…
By Veritas Our recent Bill Watch bulletins have concentrated on either Parliamentary progress on Bills [Bill Watches Nos 29, 30, 31] or SI 142’s unexpected reintroduction of the Zimbabwe dollar [ZWL] as the sole legal tender in the country on 24th June [Bill Watches Nos. 32 and 33]. This bulletin sketches non-legislative business in the National…
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has voiced concern over the purported request by the ZANU PF Political Commissariat for medicine supplies at local clinics as assistance in respect of the Lupane East by-election campaign scheduled for 3 August 2019. In a statement ZESN said whilst it acknowledges the right for political parties to solicit…
By Veritas Over the years the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission [ZACC] has been at the receiving end of insults and derision from the general public, which felt it was doing less than it should to contain corruption. In an attempt to strengthen ZACC by giving its officers more powers, on 28th June, the Minister of…
The government on 5 July 2019 gazetted the Freedom of Information Bill [H.B. 6 of 2019]. This is the first of three official Bills meant to replace the much-criticised Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). AIPPA is the omnibus law that currently caters for access to information, protection of personal information and…
By Kumbirai Mafunda Masvingo High Court Judge Justice Neville Wamambo on Monday 15 July 2019 ended the detention of MDC National Vice-Chairperson Hon. Job Sikhala after granting him ZWL$5 000 bail. Hon. Sikhala had been detained at Masvingo Remand Prison after he appeared before Magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa at Bikita Magistrates Court on Thursday 11 July…
The MDC has said it noted with serious concern the developments within Bulawayo City Council where the Town Clerk has been suspended. Party Spokesperson, Daniel Molokele said his party believes in Constitutionalism, due process, the rule of law and zero tolerance to corruption. “The party leadership has directed that the status quo ante be upheld, in…
There is need for real media law and policy reforms, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe Chapter’s Executive Director, Tabani Moyo has said. “The more things change the more they remain the same in the Zimbabwean context in as far as it pertains to the media law and policy reforms. Zimbabwe has taken…
By Veritas SI 142 of 2019 [link] ‒ the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (Legal Tender) Regulations, 2019, to give it its full name ‒ declared that the Zimbabwe dollar should be the sole legal tender in Zimbabwe for all transactions. Other currencies, specifically US dollars, British pounds, South African rand and Botswana pula, are no longer legal tender….
By Michael Mashiri A local woman has dragged to court a man whom she claimed was her ‘husband’ for abusing her and locking her outside her matrimonial home. Talent Makumba took to the Harare Civil Court Edison Mahachi whom she accused of abusing her in various ways. Mukumba said she was still married to Mahachi,…
Under the high patronage of H.E. Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo, the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in collaboration with the Republic of Congo and the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), will hold a High-Level Pan-African Summit on HIV/AIDS and health financing in Africa from 11 to 12 July 2019 in Brazzaville, Congo. The…
By Veritas Introduction 26th June was the International Day in Support of Torture Victims Yet another 26th June has come and gone without Zimbabwe having adopted the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment [CAT]. Previous Government undertakings and assurances given to the UN Human Rights Committee and…
By Kumbirai Mafunda Harare Magistrate Barbra Mateko on Tuesday 25 June 2019 dismissed the State’s bid to revoke the bail granted to Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) President Obert Masaraure and to commit him to prison for allegedly violating his bail conditions. The State had petitioned the Harare Magistrates Court seeking to revoke…
By Kumbirai Mafunda The trial of two pro-democracy campaigners charged with plotting to overthrow President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government got off to a false start on Monday 24 June 2019 after the State indicated that it was not yet ready to commence with trial despite undertaking to do so at the last remand proceedings. Pastor Evan…
By Veritas Both the National Assembly and the Senate sat last week and this week. Two Bills were passed and progress made on two others. Bills Passed Consumer Protection Bill Following the announcement of the PLC’s non-adverse report on the extensive Committee Stage amendments made previously, the National Assembly passed the amended Bill on 13th June. …
26th annual Inter-parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy begins its work in Tbilisi The Pan-African African Parliament (PAP) is among international Parliamentary organisations invited to take part in the 26th Inter-parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (I.A.O) currently underway in Tbilisi, Georgia. The Assembly is being held from 19 to 23 June 2019 under the theme: “The contribution of…
By Tatenda Mujeyi Human Rights activists affiliated with the Human Rights NGO Forum have blasted the security services systems for undemocratic tendencies at the launch of a Anti- impunity Report in Harare today. The report explored how challenges are faced in line with human rights abuse especially by the state security agents. The report was…
This represents a natural step for Centurion given the group’s strong market share within the oil & gas sector in sub-Saharan Africa and its increased activity Centurion Law Group (“Centurion”) (Centurionlg.com) is set to become the first African legal and energy advisory firm to be publicly-listed this year, as it prepares to join one of…
On 14 June 2019, ZESN observed the Nomination Court proceedings for the Lupane East National Assembly by-election scheduled to be held on 3 August 2019. The seat fell vacant following the death of Sithembile Gumbo of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), who was the Member of Parliament (MP) on 5 April 2018. Veritas…
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has announced with regret, the loss of Hon. Elhadj Diao KANTE, a national of Guinea Conakry. Hon. Kante succumbed to death in the morning hours of 13 June 2019 in South Africa, after suffering from a cancer related illness that bound him on a hospital bed since the May Parliamentary Session that…
The MDC Parliamentary Caucus was disheartened by the untimely death of Hon. Vimbai Tsvangirai – Java, a young and promising MP who had a good political future in the party that her father founded twenty years ago. In a statement, the Parliamentary Caucus said it was distraught by the loss one of its own…
By Kumbirai Mafunda A Zimbabwean school teacher has been hauled to appear before a disciplinary hearing to answer to misconduct charges after he was accused of denouncing President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ruling ZANU PF party and criticising one of his allies for causing untold suffering among citizens. Stephen Mangoma, a teacher at Mateta (Rujeko) High School…
By Kumbirai Mafunda Two civil society leaders who were arrested last month and charged with subverting constitutional government have been set free after High Court Judge Justice Amy Tsanga granted them $1 000 RTGS bail and imposed some stringent reporting conditions for them. The two CSO leaders Beauty Rita Nyampinga aged 61 years and Stabile…
