Parliamentary Committees Series 32 - 2019 - Public Hearings 19 to 29 August on the Marriages Bill

BILL WATCH           

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES SERIES 32/2019

[21st August 2019]

Public Hearings on the Marriages Bill
Monday 26th to Friday 30th August

Parliament has published the self-explanatory notice reproduced below giving details of the public hearings that will be held next week on the Marriages Bill in all provinces of the country by seven teams made up of members of three Parliamentary committees – the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Community and SME Development, and the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development.

These public hearings provide an excellent opportunity for interested organisations and individual members of the public to make known to MPs, face to face, their views on this important Bill. 

Please note that if you are unable to attend a public hearing to express your views, written representations will be acceptable – but there is a deadline: written representations should be received no later than close of business on Friday 30th August.  Addresses for submission of written representations – including email addresses – are given in Parliament’s notice below.

Documents available from Veritas

The following relevant documents are available on the Veritas website:

  • Marriages Bill [link]  [The Bill was gazetted on 19th July.  Cabinet at its meeting on 30th July directed that clause 40 of the Bill be dropped.  Clause 40, dealing with “Civil partnerships”, had already attracted widespread hostile reaction from the public.  Cabinet decided that the concept of a ‘civil union’ or ‘partnership’ is foreign and not consistent with Zimbabwe’s cultural norms as well as its Christian values.]
  • Bill Watch 36/2019 on The Marriages Bill [link] – our detailed discussion of the Bill, concluding that, while it is a commendable attempt to consolidate the entire marriage law of Zimbabwe in one Act aligned with the Constitution, the Bill nevertheless in several respects – not merely in respect of clause 40 – either sweeps complex issues under the carpet or ignores them completely.

We suggested, therefore, that the Bill should be subjected to more public debate before it is presented in Parliament – and that in the meantime the Government should consider introducing a shorter Bill which will simply abolish child marriages and do nothing more.

[Notice from Parliament follows overleaf]

PUBLIC HEARINGS MARRIAGES BILL – H.B. 7, 2019

The Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs in conjunction with the Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Gender, Community & SMEs Development and the Thematic Committee on Gender & Development  will hold public hearings on the Marriages Bill (H.B. 7, 2019) from the 26th to the 30th August 2019.   The teams will cover all 10 Provinces of Zimbabwe as follows:

Team 1: Masvingo & Part of Midlands

Date

Place

Venue

Time of Hearing

Monday 26

August

Bikita

 

 

Zaka

Better Schools Programme Zimbabwe Hall – Nyika Growth Point

Zaka RDC Hall

1000hrs

 

1400hrs

Tuesday 27

August

Chiredzi

Chivi

Chiredzi Town Council Hall

Chivi Council Boardroom

1000hrs

1400hrs

Wednesday 28

August

Gutu

Masvingo

Gutu RDC Hall

Mucheke Hall

1000hrs

1400hrs

Thursday 29

August

Zvishavane

Shurugwi

Zvishavane RDC Hall

Shurugwi RDC Hall

1000hrs

1400hrs

Friday 30

August

Gweru

Gweru

Mkoba Hall

Gweru Theatre

1000hrs

1400hrs

 

Team 2: Mashonaland West & Part of Midlands

Date

Place

Venue

Time of

Hearing

Monday 26

August

Kwekwe

Kadoma

Mbizo Hall

Rimuka Hall

1000hrs

1400hrs

Tuesday 27

August

Karoi

Mhangura

Chikangwe Hall

Mhangura Golf Club

1000hrs

1400hrs

Wednesday 28

August

Gokwe

Cheziya Hall

1000hrs

Thursday 29

August

Mhondoro

Chegutu

Mhondoro Mubaira Council Hall

Bosbury Primary School

1000hrs

1400hrs

Friday 30

August

Zvimba

Norton

Ayshire Club – Katawa

Pakare Paye Arts Centre

1000hrs

1430hrs

 

 

 

 

Team 3 – Mashonaland Central & Part of Harare

Date

Place

Venue

Time of

Hearing

Monday 26

August

Bindura

Glendale

Chipadze Hall

Tsunguvi Hall

1000hrs

1400hrs

Tuesday 27

August

Guruve

Mvurwi

Ruyamuro Business Centre-Juckers

Mvurwi Community Hall

1000hrs

1400hrs

Wednesday 28

August

Rushinga

Rushinga RDC Guest House

1300hrs

Thursday 29

August

Mbire

LDGA- Mushumbi Business Centre

1000hrs

Friday 30

August

Mabvuku

Dzivarasekwa

Mabvuku Hall

Dzivarasekwa 2 Hall

1000hrs

1400hrs

 

Team 4: Mashonaland East & part of Harare

Date

Place

Venue

Time of

Hearing

Monday 26

August

Harare

Chitungwiza

HICC

Acquatic Complex

1000hrs

1400hrs

Tuesday 27

August

Mutoko

Murehwa

Nyamakwere Lodges

Zihute Hall

1000hrs

1400hrs

Wednesday 28

August

Marondera

Goromonzi

Mbuya Nehanda Hall

Goromonzi High Schol

1000hrs

1400hrs

Thursday 29

August

Wedza

Chivhu

Wedza Inn

Jubillee Hall Chikomba RDC

1000hrs

1400hrs

Friday 30

August

UMP

Mutawatawa Growth Point Community Hall

1000hrs

 

 

Team 5: Manicaland

Date

Place

Venue

Time of

Hearing

Monday 26

August

Nyanga

Mutasa

Nyamhuka Primary School

Sanyamandwe Community Hall-Mutasa DistrictService Centre

1000hrs

1400hrs

Tuesday 27

August

Chimanimani

Mutare

Chimanmani High School

Dangamvura Beit Hall

1000hrs

1400hrs

Wednesday 28

August

Chipinge

Checheche Primary School

1000hrs

Thursday 29

August

Rusape

Mutare

Vengere 602 Hall

Mutare Civic Centre

1000hrs

1430hrs

Friday 30

August

Marange

Domboshawa- Marange Business Centre

1000hrs

 

Team 6: Matabeleland North & Part of Bulawayo

Date

Place

Venue

Time of

Hearing

Monday 26

August

Hwange

Vic Falls

Lwendulu Hall

Chinotimba Hall

1000hrs

1400hrs

Tuesday 27

August

Binga

ZAOGA Church – Binga Business Centre

1000hrs

Wednesday 28

August

Tsholotsho

 

Nyamandlovu

Tsholotsho Better Schools Program – Tsholotsho Business Centre

Nyamandlovu Primary School

1000hrs

 

1400hrs

Thursday 29

August

Nkayi

Agape Mission – Nkayi Business Centre

1000hrs

Friday 30

August

Inyathi

Bulawayo

Inyathi Training Centre

Stanley Square- Makokoba

1000hrs

1400hrs

 

Team 7: Matabeleland South & Part of Bulawayo

Date

Place

Venue

Time of

Hearing

Monday 26

August

Filabusi

Gwanda

Insiza Community Hall

Gwanda Hotel

1000hrs

1430hrs

Tuesday 27

August

Matopo

Umzingwane

Minda High Scholl Hall

Esikhoveni Hall

0930hrs

1400hrs

Wednesday 28

August

Beitbridge

Vembe High School Hall

1130hrs

Thursday 29

August

Plumtree

Plumtree

Plumtree TMB Hall – Mangwe

Madlambuzi Hall – Bulilima

1000hrs

1400hrs

Friday 30

August

Bulawayo

Bulawayo

Large City Hall – City Centre

Beit Hall – Luveve

1000hrs

1400hrs

 

ALL THOSE WHO WILL BE PUTTING ON MILITARY UNIFORMS, SIGNS OF RANKS, FLAGS OR BADGES AND POLITICAL PARTY REGALIA WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.

The public, interested groups and organizations are invited to attend these hearings. Written submissions and correspondences are welcome and should be addressed to:

The Clerk of Parliament

Attention: Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs

P.O. Box CY 298

Causeway

Harare

Submissions can also be made by email through email addresses:

clerk@parlzim.gov.zw  

nyawol@parlzim.gov.zw

manhivis@parlzim.gov.zw

Queries

Telephone: (04) 700181-8, 252936-50 ext. 2053/2171

Shepherd Manhivi (Principal Committee Clerk) 0772 247 864

Catherine Mpofu-Muvhami (Public Relations Officer) 0782 208 414

Officer)  Fax: (024) 2252935

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