Parliamentary Committees Series 9/2014 Committee Meetings 24 to 27 February & Veritas on Twitter 24 February
BILL WATCH
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES SERIES 9/2014
[24th February 2014]
Committee Meetings Open to the Public 24th to 27th February
Note: Veritas will trying to send out information on Monday meetings separately. This is because the whole week’s schedule is sometimes received late.
Note: Veritas has started sending out Twitter messages informing followers about important meetings. This week we managed to send out Twitter messages [Tweets] to inform some followers of the Public Accounts Committee’s meeting on NSSA. If you would like to receive these short news flashes, please follow Veritas@veritaszimon Twitter.
Note: for new Readers:
National Assembly Portfolio Committees exercise Parliament’s’ role on oversight of government Ministries. Each of the 19 committees is allocated one or two Ministries. Part of these committees’ duties is to consider and report to the National Assembly on Bills originating in the Ministries they monitor. Some Bills may be considered by more than one Portfolio Committee if more than one Ministry will be affected by the Bill; for instance, the Trafficking in Persons Bill originated from the Ministry of Home Affairs but the Ministries of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare are intimately involved, as is the Ministry Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development. In fact, as there is a gender equality clause in the new Constitution, the latter committee should probably be looking at most legislation for gender impact.
Senate Thematic Committees also exercise oversight functions, but monitor Government policies and activities in the thematic areas assigned to them rather than concentrating on one or two Ministries. There are 6 Thematic Committees.
There are three types of meetings
Both Portfolio Committees and Thematic Committees hold three types of meetings:
1. closed meetings –these meetings are for such purposes as drawing up a committee’s work plan, preparing questions to be put to witnesses at future meetings, considering evidence given, and preparing reports for the National Assembly. Details of these meetings are not given in Veritas Bulletins.
2. open meetings – thesemeetings are usually to hear oral evidence from Ministers or their representatives, or stakeholders, about a matter being investigated by a committee. Members of the public may attend these meetings, but as observers only, not as participants, i.e. they may listen but not speak. .
3. public hearings – when a committee considers it appropriate to hear the views of the public on, for example, a Bill due to be presented by the Government, it will hold public hearings at which stakeholders and representatives of affected sectors, as well as ordinary members of the public, are invited to give their views. Frequently, a committee will hold a series of such hearings at provincial centres countrywide. Members of the public may attend, not only to express their views but in order to observe Parliamentarian in action.
Members of the public, including Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, can at any time send written submissions to Parliamentary committees by email addressed to
This Week’s Open Meetings
The following details are based on the latest information from Parliament. But, as there are sometimes last-minute changes to the meetings schedule, persons wishing to attend should avoid disappointment by checking with the committee clerk [see names below] that the meeting is still on and open to the public. Parliament’s telephone numbers are Harare 700181 and 252940/1.
Monday 24th February at 10 am
Public Accounts Committee
Oral evidence from the Ministry of Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare and National Social Security Authority [NSSA] Management on 2011 and 2012 NSSA accounts
Committee Room No1
Chairperson: Hon MpariwiaClerk: Mrs Nyawo
Portfolio Committee: Environment, Water, Tourism and Hospitality Industry
Oral evidence from Environmental Management Agency and Zimbabwe National Water Authority on their mandate and operations
Government Caucus Room
Chairperson: Hon A. NdhlovuClerk: Mr Mazani
Portfolio Committee: Mines and Energy
Oral evidence from the Zimbabwe Miners Federation, Chamber of Mines, Zimbabwe Artisanal Miners and Small Scale Council on issues relating to gold sector
Senate Chamber
Chairperson: Hon MatukeClerk: Mrs Mataruka
Portfolio Committee: Higher Education, Science and Technology
Oral Evidence from the University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor, Professor Nyagura on the Cadetship Programme
Committee Room No4
Chairperson: Hon MataruseClerk: Mrs Hazvina
Monday 24th February at 2 pm
Thematic Committee: HIV/AIDS
Oral evidence from the Ministry of Health and Childcare on their programmes and policies
Government Caucus Room
Chairperson: Hon LabodeClerk: Mrs Mataruse
Portfolio Committee: Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare
Oral evidence from the General Manager of NSSA on the operations and investment projects of the entity.
Committee Room No 1
Chairperson: Hon ChikwamaClerk: Ms Masara
Tuesday 25th February at 10 am
Thematic Committee: MDGs
Oral evidence from the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education on MDG 2 [Achieve Universal Primary Education by 2015]
Government Caucus Room
Chairperson: Hon Chief MtshaneClerk: Mrs Hazvina
Portfolio Committee: Health and Child Care
Oral evidence from PSMAS on its mandate and government’s contribution towards civil servants medical subscriptions
Committee Room No1
Chairperson: Hon Dr LabodeClerk: Mrs Maturuse
Portfolio Committee: Lands, Agriculture Mechanisation and Irrigation
Oral evidence from the Ministry of Agriculture Mechanization and Irrigation Development on government policy regarding the strategies, operations, and financing of Grain Marketing Board
Senate Chamber
Chairperson: Hon ButauClerk: Mr Chiremba
Portfolio Committee: Local Government, Rural and Urban Development
Oral evidence from the Town Clerk of Harare City Council on the provision of adequate picking and offloading zones and public amenities for commuter omnibuses
Committee Room No. 413
Chairperson: Hon ZindiClerk: Ms Macheza
Portfolio Committee: Industry and Commerce
Oral evidence from Anchor Holdings Private Limited on challenges faced by yeast production sector and possible solutions
Committee Room No. 311
Chairperson: Hon KaukondeClerk: Ms Masara
Portfolio Committee: Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development
Oral evidence from the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Ministry of Land and Rural Settlement on gender mainstreaming
Committee Room No. 4
Chairperson: Hon NyamupingaClerk: Mr Kunzwa
Wednesday 26th February
No open meetings
Thursday 27th February at 9 am
Thematic Committee: Peace and Security
Oral evidence from the Ministry of Local Government. Rural and Urban Development on floods recently experienced in the country
Committee Room No. 2
Chairperson: Hon MumvuriClerk: Mr Kunzwa
Thursday 27th February at 9.30 am
Portfolio Committee: Youth, Indigenization and Economic Empowerment
Oral evidence from Marange and Tongogara Share Ownership Trust on their operations
Senate Chamber
Chairperson: Hon WadyajenaClerk: Ms Zenda
Thursday 27th February at 10 am
Portfolio Committee: Education, Sport, Arts and Culture
Oral evidence from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on the examination results and BEAM funding
Committee Room No. 4
Chairperson: Hon MliswaClerk: Mr Munjenge
What Other Committees Will be Doing in Closed Meetings
All the other committees are also scheduled to meet this week, but for tours of inspection or in closed meetings to which the public will not be admitted. For example:
- the Portfolio Committee on Finance and Economic Development will be considering its report on the Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill [soft copy available – see addresses at the end of this bulletin].
- the Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services will go on a familiarization tour of Kingstons Limited at Number 34 Kwame Nkrumah and Zimbabwe Media Council at Rainbow Towers all in Harare.
- the Thematic Committee on Human Rights will be discussing a legal opinion by Counsel to Parliament on the committee’s intention to exercise oversight on the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.
Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied
To subscribe or unsubscribe from this mailing list please email
If you wish to contact Veritas please email
If you are requesting legislation please email or look for it on