THE parliamentary portfolio committee on Mines and Mining Development chairperson, Edmund Mkaratigwa says the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill will soon be tabled before the august House.
This comes as the sector is currently being governed by the Mines and Minerals Act of 1961, which has been described by stakeholders as archaic.
Since it was created over five decades ago, the current Act is reportedly creating a lot of confusion in the mining sector which stakeholders believe will be eradicated if the new bill is passed into law.
Mkaratigwa said the committee was now in the process of engaging the Mines ministry to ensure that it delivers a complete and acceptable bill.
“We are trying to engage the ministry of Mines and Development so that we appreciate their plan in terms of articulating and making sure they deliver a complete and acceptable mines and minerals amendment bill. Most of the work has been done and it is now at an advanced stage,” he said.
Mkaratigwa said drafting of the amendment bill was now before the Cabinet Committee on Legislation.
“There it will go before the full Cabinet and hopefully it passes and will then be presented before parliament,” he said.
Mkaratigwa said the ordinary people will get an opportunity to add their input through public hearings.
“Whereupon we will then undertake procedural requirements that is to say we have to take the bill to the people by way of public hearing,” he said.
In its 2022 National Budget submissions to Parliament, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (Zela) called for the finalisation of the bill.