Paul Nyathi|Opposition MDC is set to pull another stunt on President Emmerson Mnangagwa as he goes to parliament for the State of the Nation Address (SONA) and official opening of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament today.
The SONA will be the third by President Mnangagwa in his capacity as the Head of State and Government.
In previous occasions the MDC legislators have refused to recognise him as the legitimate President of the country.
The first time he came to parliament, the MDC legislators refused to stand up when he made his way into parliament resulting in them being kicked out of the house by the Speaker of Parliament.
On the second occasion, the legislators walked out on the President as he started presenting his State of The Nation Address.
The MDC claims Mnangagwa is not the rightful President of the country as they accuse him of rigging the last elections. The party claims that their leader, Nelson Chamisa won the elections and is the legitimate President of Zimbabwe.
Both the official opening and the SONA will be done during a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate at Parliament Building in Harare.
Clerk of Parliament, Kennedy Chokuda, said all was now set for the SONA by Mnangagwa.
“Preparations for the SONA and official opening (of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament) are at an advanced stage. We look forward to a flawless event as we have activated our systems to ensure everything goes well,” said Chokuda.
“The SONA and official opening mark the beginning of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament. We expect His Excellency, the President to review the state of the nation over the last 12 months and to outline the legislative agenda of Government for the next 12 months,” he said.
The SONA and opening of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament is expected to be attended by members of the judiciary, service chiefs, diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe, civic society members, and captains of industry, among other dignitaries.
In his address, the President is expected to outline policy direction and the legislative agenda of the Second Session.
President Mnangagwa is expected to spell out the legislative agenda by outlining the Bills set to be presented in the coming Session.
The opening of the Second Session marks the end of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament, which saw at least 15 Bills out of 30 being presented.
At least 30 Bills were expected to be tabled in the First Session of the Ninth Parliament.
Movers of the Bills will have to seek Parliament to reinstate outstanding Bills at the stage they were by the end of the First Session.
Five Bills were passed by Parliament and two of them were signed into law while the other three are awaiting Presidential assent.
Laws that were assented to are; the Shop Licence Amendment Act and the Tripartite Negotiating Forum Act; while the Consumer Protection Bill, Microfinance Amendment Bill and the Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill, are awaiting assent.
The TNF Act establishes the Tripartite Negotiating Forum that brings together Government, business and labour in a formal setting to discuss pertinent issues affecting the economy with the aim of preventing clashes that characterised relations of the three in the past.
The Shop Licence Act reduces bureaucracy in the establishment of businesses including creation of electronic platforms for application for business licences while the Consumer Protection Bill seeks to protect consumer rights from unscrupulous businesses bent on profiteering at their expense and provides them mechanisms to seek recourse.