Staff Reporter| Residents of Gwanda have rubbished the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology’s public consultation on the Gwanda State University and Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences Bills.
Recently appointed Gwanda Residents Association Spokesperson Aifheli Mudau, told media that residents of the town have expressed disappointment and anger at the parliamentary committee’s below par consultative meeting held in Gwanda on Tuesday.
The committee is said to have hurried the residents through the bill with very little time accorded for the residents inputs to the bill.
“The Portfolio Committee that came to Gwanda on Tuesday to discuss with the public The Gwanda State University Bill failed to deliver what was expected of them,” said Mudau.
According to the residents the bill will not warrant to be enacted into law as per the constitution due to lack of citizen inputs.
“Bills are proposed pieces of legislation which, if passed by parliament, become law binding on everyone in the country. As such members of the public must be afforded enough time to debate and air their views. In Gwanda people were rushed through the Bill before most could make their contributions,” added Mudau.
The parliamentary committee is reported to have got to Gwanda without notice to the residents resulting in a very low turnout. They are also accused of having brought only two copies of the bill which people battled to share.
“The Bill was never argued carefully simply because they never ensured there were enough copies for distribution to every member which left most people blindly contributing to the deliberations with most people totally lost to what exactly was happening.
The residents have since made a submission to the clerk of parliament demanding for the portfolio committee to come go to the town and make a proper consultation.
“With all due respect, We therefore as residents of Gwanda request through the Clerk of parliament that the concerned committee be sent back to Gwanda and re-engage the public.