Harare — Zimbabwe’s Parliament is set to resume sittings on 10 February after adjourning last month, with both the National Assembly and the Senate facing a heavy legislative and oversight workload spanning key economic, social and governance reforms.
According to the provisional Order Papers, lawmakers will take up a wide range of Bills, parliamentary committee reports, constitutional commission reports and motions, although the final sequencing of business may change as both Houses retain discretion to rearrange their agendas. Any unfinished business on a sitting day will automatically roll over to the next.
A separate update outlining the full Government legislative agenda, as announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in October last year, is expected to be published later.
National Assembly: Focus on Key Reform Bills
When the National Assembly convenes on Tuesday, 10 February, attention will centre on several Bills at various stages of the legislative process.
Among the measures scheduled for debate are the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Amendment Bill, which is due to enter the Committee Stage, and the Insurance and Pensions Commission Amendment Bill, which is expected to begin its Second Reading.
Other Bills lined up for Second Reading include the Climate Change Management Bill, the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Amendment Bill, and the Tourism Bill, reflecting Parliament’s growing focus on climate governance, public finance oversight and economic diversification.
The Occupational Safety and Health Bill is set to move into its Committee Stage, while debate will continue on adverse constitutional reports issued by the Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC) on the State Service (Pensions) Bill, the long-awaited Mines and Minerals Bill, and the Public Service Amendment Bill.
Oversight and Accountability Reports
In addition to legislation, the National Assembly will consider a broad set of reports from parliamentary committees, ministries and constitutional bodies. These include audited financial statements for the Ministries of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development (2022–2023) and Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion (2022), as well as budget performance reports for the fourth quarter of 2024 from several ministries.
Other reports cover vocational training centres, the operations of the Lotteries and Gaming Board, challenges facing university students, and the state of digital information centres across the country.
Lawmakers will also be asked to consider 2024 annual reports from key constitutional commissions and statutory bodies, including the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the Judicial Service Commission, the Attorney-General’s Office, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. ZEC reports on by-elections held between October 2024 and January 2025 will also be tabled.
Motions and Ministerial Questions
Several motions are scheduled for debate, including proposals on the erection of public galleries and statues to preserve cultural heritage, and the establishment of clear succession rules for traditional chiefs.
On Wednesday, 11 February, private members’ business and questions to Ministers will take precedence. Ministers are expected to respond to a wide-ranging set of issues, including infrastructure development, agricultural input costs, civil servants’ allowances, passport contracts, diaspora voting, compensation for victims of political violence, electricity supply to local authorities, and allegations of partisan recruitment into the security services.
Other questions touch on healthcare for Zimbabweans abroad, media fairness between elections, vehicle and radio licence revenues, support for persons with disabilities, and government measures to sustain businesses and industries.
Senate Agenda: Bills, Treaties and Social Issues
The Senate will also resume on Tuesday, 10 February, with the Medical Services Amendment Bill scheduled for its Second Reading.
Senators will be asked to approve two international agreements: a Treaty on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters with China and the SADC Protocol on the Inter-State Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners.
Like the National Assembly, the Senate will review 2024 reports from constitutional commissions and statutory bodies, including ZEC, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, and the National Prosecuting Authority.
Parliamentary committee reports on recurring droughts, access to mining for women, youths and persons with disabilities, and the state of prisons in Zimbabwe are also on the agenda.
Planned motions in the Senate cover issues such as vandalism of public infrastructure, unpaid care work, the promotion of indigenous languages—particularly in science and technology subjects—the protection of inheritance rights for widows and children, and calls for a review of civil servants’ salaries and conditions of service. Senators are also expected to debate a formal reply to the President’s State of the Nation address.
On Thursday, 12 February, the Senate will dedicate time to Ministerial questions, including the proposed Harare–Chitungwiza railway line, visa restrictions affecting travel to the United States, ZIMRA inland checkpoints, inclusion of elderly farmers in the Pfumvudza programme, and the disposal of vehicles impounded at border posts.
With a broad legislative and oversight agenda touching on governance, the economy, social protection and international relations, the February sittings are expected to be closely watched by policymakers, investors and civil society alike.
