News / National
Zimbabwe parliament says empowerment laws are illegal
12 Jun 2011 at 10:33hrs | Views
The Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC) has produced a report which says the proposed empowerment laws are illegal, as they aim to impose unconstitutional fines on businesses.
The report, produced two weeks ago, is likely to anger President Robert Mugabe as he is using black economic empowerment as his campaign strategy for elections he wants to be held this year.
Ironically, the Parliamentary Legal Committee includes two Zanu-PF legislators, Paul Mangwana and Beatrice Nyamupinga.
According to the offending clauses cited by the PLC, businesses that fail to submit indigenisation plans or provisional plans within 30 days of receiving a notice face imprisonment for up to five years.
The committee also says unapproved investors in a sector in which locals must have majority control also face the same number of years in prison.
In its report, the PLC says: "Therefore the finding of the committee is that the statutory instrument is both unconstitutional and ultra vires the enabling Act on the following grounds. It imposes hefty penalties that are grossly disproportionate with the offences committed, thereby being inhuman and degrading, and thus violating section 15 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe by imposing prison terms on businesses; thereby violating section 18 of the Constitution, which provides for the right to protection."
The report, produced two weeks ago, is likely to anger President Robert Mugabe as he is using black economic empowerment as his campaign strategy for elections he wants to be held this year.
Ironically, the Parliamentary Legal Committee includes two Zanu-PF legislators, Paul Mangwana and Beatrice Nyamupinga.
According to the offending clauses cited by the PLC, businesses that fail to submit indigenisation plans or provisional plans within 30 days of receiving a notice face imprisonment for up to five years.
The committee also says unapproved investors in a sector in which locals must have majority control also face the same number of years in prison.
In its report, the PLC says: "Therefore the finding of the committee is that the statutory instrument is both unconstitutional and ultra vires the enabling Act on the following grounds. It imposes hefty penalties that are grossly disproportionate with the offences committed, thereby being inhuman and degrading, and thus violating section 15 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe by imposing prison terms on businesses; thereby violating section 18 of the Constitution, which provides for the right to protection."
Source - Byo24News
