The Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC) has ruled that the Maintenance of Peace and Order (MOPA) Bill is unconstitutional. The PLC argued that the MOPA was a replica of the POSA it seeks to replace.
The PLC is chaired by Zanu PF’s Jonathan Samkange and has ruling party members including Cuthbert Mpame, Misheck Mataranyika, and MDC’s Kucaca Phulu and Maxwell Mavhunga.
Prior to the commencement of Parliament’s questions without notice session on Wednesday, deputy National Assembly Speaker Tsitsi Gezi announced that the PLC had passed an adverse report on the Bill.
The report means that the second reading stage of Parliament cannot start until the issues outlined in the PLC’s report have been received.
Legal experts including MDC Senator for Manicaland Douglas Mwonzora have castigated the bill arguing that several sections in it are similar to those in the POSA. They also claim that the contents of the bill violate the national constitution that was adopted in 2013.
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