[Bill-Watch] Bill Watch - Parliamentary Committees Series 9/2014 of 24th February [Committee Meetings 24 to 27 February: and Veritas on Twitter]

[Veritas Bill Watch]

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 @veritaszim on 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 - these meetings 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  <mailto:clerk at parlzim.gov.zw> clerk at parlzim.gov.zw
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 No 1
Chairperson: Hon Mpariwia                       Clerk: 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. Ndhlovu                  Clerk: 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 Matuke                         Clerk: 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 No 4
Chairperson: Hon Mataruse                      Clerk: 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 Labode                         Clerk: 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 Chikwama                    Clerk: 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 Mtshane              Clerk: 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 No 1
Chairperson: Hon Dr Labode                    Clerk: 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 Butau                           Clerk: 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 Zindi                             Clerk: 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 Kaukonde                    Clerk: 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 Nyamupinga                 Clerk: 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 Mumvuri                       Clerk: 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 Wadyajena                   Clerk: 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 Mliswa                          Clerk: 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
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