Next Week in Parliament

Highlight: on Thursday 17th July The Minister of Finance will present his mid-term budget and economic review for 2025 and his 2026 budget strategy paper.

Both Houses of Parliament will be sitting next week.  In this Bill Watch we shall outline the business they are expected to deal with, but please bear the following points in mind:

• When the National Assembly and the Senate adjourn, they set down all outstanding business on their Order Papers (i.e. their agendas) for the next appropriate sitting day.  There is usually too much to be covered in one day, so whatever is not dealt with is postponed to the next appropriate day.
• Both Houses of Parliament can change the order in which they consider business.

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Tuesday 15th July

Bill to be dealt with

The Assembly is expected to deal with the following Bill:

• Medical Services Amendment Bill [link]

The Second Reading of this Bill is due to begin.

Reports of constitutional commissions to be considered

The Assembly will be asked to consider:

• Reports of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on by-elections held in October and November 2024 and January 2025 to fill vacancies in local authorities
• 2024 report of the Judicial Service Commission
• 2024 report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
• 2024 report of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission
• 2024 report of the National Prosecuting Authority.

International agreements to be approved

The Assembly will be asked to approve:

• The SADC Protocol on the Inter-State Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners [link]
• the African Charter on Statistics, signed in Addis Ababa on the 4th February 2009 [link]
• an agreement to operationalise the SADC Regional Development Fund [link]

Reports on petitions received

• A petition on the status of the Disaster Risk Management and Civil Protection Bill
• A petition from ZISCO Steel pensioners

Reports of parliamentary committees

The Assembly will be asked to consider committee reports on the following issues:

• The status of border posts in relation to border security
• The state of centres for the treatment and rehabilitation of victims of drug and substance abuse
• The 2024 third quarter Budget Performance Report of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce
• Universal access to primary and secondary education
• The audited accounts of Gweru City Council for 2020 [link]
• The state of the water supply in Bulawayo [link]
• The impact of the prevailing economic environment on the wholesale and retail sectors
• The audited accounts of Karoi Town Council for 2020
• The audited accounts of the Civil Aviation Authority for 2020 [link]
• The 2025 review of the Monetary Policy Statement
• The Auditor-General’s report for 2021 on the CMED and Easy-Go Travel and Hiring (Pvt) Ltd
• Gender-based violence
• Verify and National and National Biotechnology projects

Motions on the National Assembly order paper

Motions set to be debated by the Assembly will include the following topics:

• Ensuring that local authorities fill vacant posts with substantive appointments rather than acting appointments
• Availability of school uniforms at reasonable prices
• Abolition of bank charges for balance enquiries
• Dealing with tuberculosis and silicosis among miners
• Protection of wetlands
• Fires in communal areas
• Improvement of water infrastructure in the country
• Preventing child marriages and protecting girls from exploitation
• Declaration of the public health situation to be a national emergency
• Increased resources to treat mental disorders, particularly drug-related conditions
• Introduction of quotas for employment of youths in the public service
• Tax relief for businesses that invest in or sponsor arts, sport and culture
• Extending the prohibition against smoking tobacco in public places
• Controlling dangerous dogs and increasing protection against rabies
• Establishment of an inter-ministerial committee to develop digital training and skills
• The establishment of a national institute of ideology
• Reply to the President’s speech.

Wednesday 16th July

Note:  On Wednesdays, questions and other private members’ business have precedence over government business.

Questions set down for answer

Among questions set down for Ministers to answer in the National Assembly on Wednesday are questions on the following issues:

• Land degradation in Gwanda North caused by artisanal gold miners
• Lifting the ban on fishing in Lake Chivero
• Save River siltation
• Taxing of persons over the age of 65
• Readiness of hotels for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
• Transfers of teachers who teach examination classes
• Measures to improve conditions for lecturers and academic staff at higher and tertiary educational institutions
• Provision of power to various rural areas and repairing and upgrading electricity power lines
• Why the Government borrowed money in 2021 despite having access to IMF special drawing rights
• Payment made to Betterbrands Petroleum in May 2025
• Differentiation between public servants and members of the security services in availability of ad hoc allowances
• Disbursement of devolution funds to local authorities in five provinces
• Disbursement of BEAM funds, especially for rural schools, and payment of arrears
• Converting the Zimbabwe Republic Police into a police service
• Aligning the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act with the Constitution
• Government policy on breeding and keeping dangerous dog breeds
• The various liquor licences and the conditions attached to them
• Title deeds for beneficiaries of fast-track land reform
• Review of law regarding sinking of boreholes and water harvesting
• Regulation of the prices and marketing of sesame seeds
• Measures to support businesses affected by current economic environment
• Compensation for victims of political violence since 1980
• Implementing recommendations of the SADC election observer mission from 2018 and 2023
• Water quality in Lake Chivero
• The Geo Pomona Waste Project
• Conflicts between the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Local Government on the collection of land levies and the allocation of land in urban areas
• Compensation paid to Pinnacle Holdings for land in Harare
• The number of female chiefs and village heads and the rights of their children
• The cost of and funding for the Trabablas interchange project
• Rehabilitation of roads and infrastructure in various areas
• Government policy on menstrual leave
• Empowerment programmes for marginalised groups
• The role of the Ministry of Women Affairs in the fight against drug and substance abuse among women and youths
• The capacitation of small and medium enterprises

Thursday 17th July

The Minister of Finance will present his mid-term budget and economic review for 2025 and his 2026 budget strategy paper.

Then, if any time remains, the Assembly will continue business stood over from Tuesday and Wednesday;  Government business will again have precedence.

THE SENATE

Tuesday 15th July

Bill to be considered:

The Senate will deal with the following Bill:

• Persons with Disabilities Bill [link]

The Senate will consider and approve amendments it made to the Bill in Committee.  The Bill will probably then be given its final reading and referred back to the National Assembly for the Senate’s amendments to be considered.

Reports of Constitutional Commissions to be considered

The Senate will be asked to consider the reports of the following constitutional Commissions:

• The Judicial Service Commission’s report for 2024
• The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s report for 2024
• The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission’s report for 2024
• Reports of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on by-elections held in October and November 2024 and January 2025 to fill vacancies in local authorities

International agreements to be approved

The Senate will be asked to approve:

• The SADC Protocol on the Inter-State Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners [link]

Thematic Committee reports to be considered

The Senate will be asked to adopt reports on:

• Universal access to primary and secondary education
• State of the water supply in Bulawayo [link]

Motions to be dealt with by the Senate

The Senate is expected to debate motions on the following topics:

• Reply to the President’s speech
• Commending the President on his leadership
• Improving higher education through international partnerships, accreditation and benchmarking
• Respect for and promotion of indigenous culture, customs and heritage
• Disparity between urban and rural areas regarding access to early childhood development education

Wednesday 16th July

The Senate will continue business stood over from Tuesday

Thursday 17th July

Questions set down for answer

Among questions for Ministers to answer in the Senate on Thursday are questions on the following issues:

• Exemption of senior citizens from paying rates and levies to urban and rural local authorities
• Exemption of war veterans from paying parking fees
• Revenue raised from the Learning and Materials Fund for 2025
• Revenue from agricultural export licences and how it was utilised in 2025
• Land audit to identify under-utilised land for reallocation
• Villages targeted for boreholes under the presidential rural development programme
• Government policy on Palestine and the conflict between Israel and Iran
• Development of tourism

Bills Being Considered by the Parliamentary Legal Committee

The PLC is considering amendments made to the following Bills:

• State Service (Pensions) Bill [link]
• Insurance and Pensions Commission Amendment Bill [link]
• Parks and Wild Life Amendment Bill [link]

The PLC is considering the following Bills, which have been referred to the Committee following their first reading:

• Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Amendment Bill
• Pipelines Amendment Bill

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied.