Parliament sets new date for budget presentation
THE 2018 National Budget statement is now scheduled for next month after it was cancelled following the military intervention during “Operation Restore Legacy”, which forced outgoing President Robert Mugabe to resign, while Finance minister Ignatius Chombo was arrested.
Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda told NewsDay that the budget would now be announced in a fortnight.
“The budget is going to be presented on December 7,” Chokuda said, but did not entertain any further questions.
Chombo was expected to deliver the 2018 budget statement, and Parliament was already in the process of gathering views from different stakeholders.
Yesterday, Veritas said Mugabe’s ministers would still be in office until the swearing-in of President-designate Emmerson Mnangagwa today.
“They kept their portfolios under Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko as Acting President, but will go out of office under section 108 (1) (c) of the Constitution when Mnangagwa is sworn in tomorrow (today),” Veritas said.
The legal think-tank said all ministers, including those in detention or outside the country, still held their portfolios, adding that anything they did between November 15 when the Zimbabwe Defence Forces took control of government to today when Mnangagwa is sworn in as President would be legally valid.
“Anything lawfully done by civil servants on behalf of their ministers is legally valid even if the ministers were in detention or outside the country. This is so because the law recognises that civil servants can exercise delegated functions under a general authority from their
ministers.”
Veritas said all ministers would cease to hold office as soon as Mnangagwa was sworn in, unless if he reappoints them as ministers.
“For this reason, Mnangagwa should appoint a new Cabinet without delay, which, with his reputation for administrative efficiency, he will probably do,” Veritas said.
It is very possible, therefore, that the 2018 budget will be presented by a new Finance minister.
BY VENERANDA LANGA
