'Mugabe consulted before rejecting Bill'

President Mugabe's decision to throw back to Parliament the Special Economic Zones Bill was made after a consensus was reached among the Tripartite Negotiating Forum which requested the August House to consider crafting guidelines governing conditions of service for workers in the zones as opposed to a blanket suspension of the Labour Act, it has emerged.

In rejecting the Bill, President Mugabe cited section 56 of the legal provision which, he said was not consistent with section 65 of the Constitution as it sought to suspend operations of the labour laws in special economic zones.

Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Retired Colonel Christian Katsande said President Mugabe had received representations from various stakeholders on the Bill and upheld the concerns.