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:
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