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Mnangagwa to deliver SONA, set agenda

by Staff reporter
18 Sep 2018 at 06:20hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is today expected to deliver his first State of the National Address (SONA) and officially open the first session of the Ninth Parliament during which he will set the legislative agenda.

The President will this morning address a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate.

Preparations for the event were in place yesterday, while a number of roads around Parliament Building will be closed to motorists during the proceedings. Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda said everything was in place for today's event.

"Everything is in place and we are looking forward to the event," he said.

The legislative agenda is expected to be dominated by laws that enhance the country's attractiveness to investors and streamline investment laws to smoothen the ease of doing business.

The Ninth Parliament is expected to be seized with amending Chapter 14 of the Constitution to streamline the structure of Provincial and Metropolitan Councils as part of the devolution being advocated by President Mnangagwa and his Government.

President Mnangagwa has already indicated that Government's thrust is to consolidate economic reforms that started with the coming in of the new dispensation.

During his inauguration speech, he reiterated that the focus of his administration was on the economy. Parliamentarians have also embraced the policy direction given by the President and pledged to speed up the passage of laws in the august house.

Parliament is dominated by Zanu-PF which retained its two-thirds majority in the just-ended harmonised elections. Before addressing the legislators, the President is expected to inspect a guard of honour mounted by members of the Zimbabwe National Army while there will be a flypast by the Air Force of Zimbabwe as per tradition.

Following the President's address, the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing will host the traditional luncheon for legislators.

Roads that will be closed today are Nelson Mandela Avenue at Sam Nujoma to Simon Muzenda streets, Third Street at Jason Moyo Avenue, George Silundika Avenue at Third Street, St Mary's Lane and Nelson Mandela Avenue, Kwame Nkrumah from Sam Nujoma to Simon Muzenda streets and Samora Machel Avenue and and Sam Nujoma Street. The roads will be closed from 6am to 3pm.

Source - the herald
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