Paul Nyathi|President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA) into law making the end of the Public Order and Security Act, POSA.

The Companies and Other Business Entities Act was also assented to by the President last week.

Mnangagwa told people who attended an anti-sanctions rally in Mahusekwa yesterday of the new development.

“We now have a new law. We have removed POSA and it has been replaced by what we call MOPA. I signed MOPA into law just last week,” the President said.

In addition to granting the right to protest, the new law also regularises the way the military is deployed to assist the police in maintaining law and order.

On the Companies and Other Business Entities Act, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Permanent Secretary Mrs Virginia Mabiza said new Companies Act was major milestone for business.

“It combines the private business corporations and companies into one. It also introduces electronic registration and transactions. This was not present in the old Bill, now we can do electronic transactions from wherever we are, even company registrations or any other company transactions,” she said.

“There is also a provision of mergers and takeovers, something that was not provided for in the old Bill. Above all, in line with our ease of doing business reforms, the new Act replaces criminal liabilities with civil penalties. You find that we have substituted wherever we had criminal penalties with civil penalties that are implemented through the office of Chief Registrar of Companies.”

She said the new Act also compels directors to be more transparent and disclose any issues to do with conflict of interest.

Mrs Mabiza added: “It also provided for re-registration of companies. This is important in that there is going to be a grace period in which companies are going to be re-registered and this will be coordinated through our companies’ office.

“We are in the process of finalising regulations for implementation of the Act.”