Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has said the parliamentary process for adopting the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 is expected to be concluded by the end of June.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is currently consolidating submissions received via hand delivery to Parliament, email, and public hearings held across the country between 31 March and 2 April.
Speaking to State media on Thursday, Ziyambi said the committee was expected to complete its consolidation over the weekend.
He added that he will introduce the Bill in Parliament next week when sittings resume on 2 June.
“The portfolio committees have been looking at the submissions that were brought to Parliament as well as what they gathered during public hearings and have been compiling their report, which we hope will be done by this weekend,” said Ziyambi.
“And once it’s done, next week when we resume sitting, I will then introduce the Bill.”
Ziyambi said he would then move to the second reading, where he would formally introduce and explain the Bill to Members of Parliament (MPs).
He added that the committees that held the public hearings would present their reports, after which the floor would be opened for debate by all MPs.
He said that if any clauses needed to be amended, removed or adopted, he would indicate in his closing speech whether those changes should be considered before the Bill proceeded to the committee stage.
“If there is a need to adjust or to drop some clauses, I will then, in my closing speech after the second reading speech, indicate if that consideration will be done before we then proceed to the committee stage,” Ziyambi said.
“But it will depend on the debate; how it goes in Parliament, and hopefully we should be able to conclude the processes by the end of June.”
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