Parliament has stopped all physical meetings, switching to virtual which will include sittings of the National Assembly and Senate, after a number of Parliament staff tested positive to Covid-19 recently.
In a statement, acting Clerk of Parliament Ms Helen Dingane, said all meetings will with immediate effect be held virtually.
“The acting Clerk of Parliament wishes to advise all Honourable Members of Parliament that today 9 December 2021, there will be no physical presence in the Chamber. All members must connect virtually. No one will be allowed into the building. Please continue to mask up and sanitise and social distance,” said Ms Dingane.
On Wednesday, acting Speaker Mr Martin Khumalo had indicated that a decision was imminent on how to respond to the ever rising figures of staff of Parliament and legislators who had tested positive to the disease.
This was after legislators led by Norton Member of Parliament Mr Temba Mliswa called upon Parliament to adjourn the House arguing that from his enquiries at least half of staff at Parliament had tested positive.
The issue drew a lot of debate with some legislators rallying behind Mr Mliswa while others said there was no statistics that Mr Mliswa had brought forward to support his assertions.
Zanu PF Chief Whip, Cde Pupurai Togarepi argued that if there was anyone who felt that they were at risk they could follow proceedings virtually.
Debate eventually resumed as portfolio committee chairperson presented their reports of Ministries they shadow.
The portfolio committee on Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services bemoaned poor funding to the digitalisation programme.
Its chairperson and Matabeleland South Proportional Representative MP Ms Sipho Mokone (MDC-T) said the huge discrepancy between the requested funds and the allocated funds will significantly hamper the progress of the digitalisation project.
“Currently, the revised target for completion of the project is 2023, and this milestone will be impossible to achieve without adequate funding. The committee notes with concern that the project is moving at a slow pace and the committee calls for early disbursements of funds, if approved, to minimise exchange losses,” said Ms Mokone.
“The slow pace of implementation of the ZimDigital project leads to violation of Sections 61 and 62 of the Constitution which calls for freedom of expression and freedom of the media and access to information.”
The Lands and Agriculture committee also noted that the use of International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights in establishing an Export Revolving Fund was noble.
“The Committee also appreciates that part of the SDR from the IMF will be used in the agriculture sector. The establishment of an export revolving fund for agriculture targeting floriculture, blueberries, and macadamia, which is to be financed to the tune of US$30 million from the SDR funds is noted.
However, given the current challenges with respect to repayment of loans, it is critical to ensure that safeguards are in place so that the facility becomes a revolving fund with those benefiting repaying so that other farmers can also benefit,” said committee chairperson and Gokwe Nembudziya MP Cde Justice Mayor Wadyajena.