Yesterday, the 23rd of October, President E.D. Mnangagwa delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA). He touched on several issues but in this article, I will just highlight some noteworthy points. He reminded Zimbabweans that we are traversing a new modern prosperous path. He urged everyone to contribute to this journey by being ardent partners. He also underscored the importance of unity of purpose and promotion of national interests. He then duly opened the 3rd session of the 9th Parliament of Zimbabwe.
Commitment To Address Civil Servant Concerns
Recently I did an article on the latest offer from the government of US$500 equivalent of funeral assistance if a civil servant dies. I discussed several things in that article but my concluding remarks emphasised on how that government definitely has to do something. The President mentioned two things during his SONA namely, addressing the plight of civil servants. Secondly, he pointed out that government is working on putting together an Unemployment Benefit Fund to cater for incidences of workers being retrenched or unforeseen disasters (e.g. as has been the case with the COVID-19 pandemic).
The Fight Against Corruption Being Prioritized
Corruption continues to be a topical issue in Zimbabwe and Africa at large. He highlighted that the government still prioritizes the fight against corruption. He reiterated that there are no sacred cows – everyone must adhere to the law.
Ratification Of The Minamata Convention
The use of mercury in gold mining has been a contentious issue for the longest time. The Minamata Convention stipulates legislation that bans any use of mercury that negatively affects people and the environment. The President indicated that the government is going to ratify the Minamata Convention concerning the use of mercury in gold mining. The Minamata Convention is a global treaty meant to protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of mercury.
Launch Of A Sports Bill
If you closely follow sports news in Zimbabwe then you know that issues like manipulation, doping and illegal sports betting have been rampant. To fight against these issues the government will soon launch the Sports Bill.
Presidential Horticultural Scheme On The Cards
A Presidential Horticultural Scheme is being worked on. This is critically important given how valuable horticultural produce is to people’s livelihoods and the economy as a whole. There is a long list of horticultural crops that have immense export value.
Issues Regarding NGOs and PVOs
The President said, “The conduct of some non-governmental organizations and private and voluntary organizations who operate outside their mandates and are out of sync with the government’s humanitarian priority programmes remain a cause for concern”. Thus he pointed out that laws on how NGOs and PVOs operate shall be revisited during the just opened parliament session. In light of this, the PVOs Amendment Bill will be considered to streamline the operation of NGOs and PVOs. I have had several people in the past few months that have approached me needing assistance on setting up their charity organizations or foundations in Zimbabwe. It would be interesting for them to keep an eye out for any developments that will pop up.
Outstanding Bills To Be Completed Soon
Several bills are yet to be finalized – 29 of them. Some of them are the Cyber Security Bill, the Citizenship and Immigration Amendment Bill, the Police Act, the Children’s Amendment Bill, and other Media Bills. He also took some time to talk about violence and abuse against children. He even said that the Children’s Amendment Bill shall be expedited due to the gravity of the matter. He also urged the criminal justice system to issue sentences that deter people from committing such horrendous crimes.
The President also spoke on why he allowed the re-opening of schools. Here is what he said, “Government a deliberate decision to reopen schools to enable our children, who constitute out rich future human resource endowment, to conclude the year and progress to the next grades in the coming year”. It was also clear from his address that the 3rd session of parliament will focus more on the passing of outstanding bills. During the 2nd session, only 10 out of 39 bills were passed so more needs to be done.
