In its petition submitted to Parliament last month in cooperation with Women in Politics Support Unit (WiPSU) and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights), the ERC issued a strong caution to the effect that cosmetic public hearings would not be acceptable. Parliament was urged to be true to the provisions of Section 141 of the new Constitution, which insist that it must facilitate public involvement in its legislative and other processes.
ERC noted that a number of issues greatly compromised the quality of the planned hearings. These included limited publicity on the dates and venues, limited, if any, prior circulation of the Bill in the localities of the hearings, poor attendance by members of the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.
“It is deplorable that Members of Parliament, elected to represent voters across the country did not see it fit to account to voters by taking the hearings seriously,” says ERC director Tawanda Chimhini.