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Standing
Rules & Orders Committee, Public Accounts Committee & Parliamentary
Legal - Bill Watch Parliamentary Committees Series 16/2013
Veritas
October 26, 2013
Parliamentary
Committees – Part 1
Standing
Rules and Orders Committee [SROC]
SROC’s
functions
These are laid
down in section 151 of the Constitution
as: supervising the administration of Parliament, formulating Standing
Orders, considering and deciding all matters concerning Parliament,
and exercising other functions imposed on the committee by the Constitution
[such as nominating candidates for appointment to constitutional
commissions], by Standing Orders [such as appointing other Parliamentary
Committees] or by an Act of Parliament.
SROC’s
members are ex officio or appointed or elected, in accordance with
section 151 of the Constitution:
- 11 ex officio
[automatically members by virtue of their holding of other offices]
- 4 appointed
[2 appointed by President, 1 by Speaker and 1 by President of
Senate]
- 8 elected
[4 by Senate, 4 by National Assembly]
Bill
Watch 51/2013 of 8th October listed 13 members identified by
that date and but the SROC was then still short of its full complement,
with eight backbench members still to be elected by the two Houses
and two appointments still to be made by the presiding officers.
That was done last week, and the full committee had its first meeting
on the morning of 16th October.
Names
of SROC Members
The full SROC
has a Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and 21 other members:
Ex officio
members [11]
- Speaker:
Hon Jacob Mudenda, Chairperson
- President
of the Senate: Hon Ednah Madzongwe, Deputy Chairperson
- Deputy Speaker:
Hon Mabel Chinomona
- Deputy President
of the Senate: Hon Chen Chimutengwende
- Minister
responsible for finance: Hon Patrick Chinamasa
- Leader of
Government Business in Parliament: Hon Emerson Mnangagwa
- Leader of
the Opposition in Parliament: Hon Thokozani Khupe [MDC-T]
Chief Whips
of the political parties represented in the National Assembly and
Senate:
- Zanu-PF:
Hon Joram Gumbo
- MDC-T: Hon
Innocent Gonese
- MDC: Hon
Jasmine Toffa
President of
the National Council of Chiefs: Hon Chief Charumbira
Appointed
members [4]
Two Ministers
appointed to the Committee by the President
- Hon. Dr.
Sydney Sekeramayi, Minister of Defence
- Hon. Sithembiso
Nyoni, Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperative
Development
One Senate backbencher
appointed as a member by the President of the Senate
- Hon Priscah
Mupfumira [Zanu-PF]
One National
Assembly backbencher appointed as a member by the Speaker
- Hon Anne
Simbanegavi [Zanu-PF]
Elected
members [8]
Four Senate
backbenchers elected by the Senate:
- Hon Sen
Charles Tawengwa [Zanu-PF]
- Hon. Sen
Monica Mutsvangwa [Zanu-PF]
- Hon Tambudzani
Mohadi [Zanu-PF]
- Hon Sithembile
Mlotshwa [MDC-T]
Four National
Assembly backbenchers elected by the National Assembly:
- Hon Daniel
Shumba [Zanu-PF]
- Hon Constance
Tsomondo [Zanu-PF]
- Hon Kazembe
Kazembe [Zanu-PF]
- Hon Nelson
Chamisa [MDC-T]
Breakdown
of SROC Membership
By gender
By political
party
Inaugural
SROC Meeting
A major item
of business at the first SROC meeting on 16th October was the appointment
of other Parliamentary committees. Standing Orders state that in
making committee appointments the SROC must take into account:
- “the
expressed interests or expertise” of members of Parliament,
and
- “the
political and gender composition of Parliament”.
As Zanu-PF holds
comfortable majorities in both Houses, its MPs dominate all committees.
Appointment
of Other Committees
On 17th October,
the Speaker and the President of the Senate announced the appointment
by the Standing Rules and Orders Committee of the following committees:
- Public Accounts
Committee [chaired by MDC-T]
- 19 National
Assembly Portfolio Committees [4 chaired by MDC-T, 15 by Zanu-PF]
- 6 Senate
Thematic Committees [2 chaired by MDC-T, 4 by Zanu-PF].
On 22nd October
the appointment of the five-member Parliamentary Legal Committee
was announced.
The members
of the Public Accounts Committee and Parliamentary Legal Committee
are listed below. The membership of the portfolio committees and
thematic committees will be covered in future bulletins.
Public
Accounts Committee
Chairperson:
Hon Paurina Mpariwa [MDC-T]
Clerk: Ms Nyawo
Zanu-PF [17]:
Chitindi C.; Gumbo S.; Jaboon J.; Kaundikidze H. M.; Madanha T.;
Madondo T.; Masamvu L.; Mpofu M.M.; Mudambo T.; Musanhi K.S.; Ncube
S.; Nduna D.T.; Nyanhongo M.; Sibanda M.; Sindi C.; Wadyajena J.M.;
Zhou P.; Matimba K.M.; Mudau M.; Nyamupinga B.B.; Mbwembwe E.N.;
Rungani A.; Thembani S.; Marumahoko R.; Muchenje F.; Dziva T.M.;
Simbanegavi Y.; Masiya D.; Pedzisai I.; Mhlanga J. N.; Paradza K.;
Chidavaenzi E.; Sibanda Z.; Nkomo M.
MDC-T [8]: including
the Chairperson, Mrs Mpariwa]: Sansole T.; Cross E.; Chirisa F.;
Madzimure W.; Musundire A.; Mashakada T.; Nkomo S.S.
MDC [1]: Misihairabwi-Mushonga
P.
Functions:
The committee
plays a vital part in Parliament’s oversight of the Executive.
Its mandate is to examine the financial affairs and accounts of
Government ministries and departments and State-owned enterprises.
It works closely with the Auditor-General, all of whose audit reports
are examined by the committee and if necessary made the subject
of special reports to the National Assembly.
Inaugural meeting:
The committee will hold its inaugural meeting on 28th October, in
closed session. Meetings open to the public are unlikely until the
committee has decided on its work plan.
Parliamentary
Legal Committee
The five members
of the Parliamentary Legal Committee [PLC] are:
- Hon Tendai
Biti [MDC-T]
- Hon Dr. Christopher
Kuruneri [Zanu-PF]
- Hon Jesse
Majome [MDC-T]
- Hon Priscah
Mupfumira [Zanu-PF]
- Hon Jonathan
Samukange [Independent Zanu-PF]
As all the members
except Senator Mupfumira are legally qualified, there has been compliance
with section 152(2) of the Constitution, which states that a majority
of the PLC’s members must be qualified to practise law in
Zimbabwe.
Chairperson
- The PLC will elect its chairperson at its inaugural meeting, but
as three of the members are out of the country this is not likely
to be held until next week. Secretarial services for the PLC are
provided by the office of Parliamentary Counsel, Ms Pise.
Functions -
The PLC’s functions are to examine Bills introduced into Parliament
for consistency with the Constitution, and to examine all newly-gazetted
statutory instruments [regulations, by-laws, rules of court, and
General Notices which have the force of law] not only for consistency
with the Constitution but for exceeding the powers granted by enabling
Acts of Parliament.
The PLC’s
meetings are not open to the public, but written representations
can be made to it on constitutional and legal points arising from
the Bills or statutory instruments it has under consideration.
Veritas
makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take
legal responsibility for information supplied
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