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PARLIAMENT has turned down a petition to compel the country to declare a National Ancestors Day holiday.

The petition was one of four that the August House received in March 2023.

Two were dismissed while the other two were forwarded to relevant committees for scrutiny.

Deputy speaker of parliament Tsitsi Gezi told legislators on 28 March that on 8 March, Hweva Association had petitioned parliament to compel the State to declare Ancestors’ Day as a national holiday.

“The petition was deemed inadmissible because the petitioners’ prayer is not within Parliament’s constitutional mandate,” said the deputy speaker.

“I also have to inform the House that on Tuesday, 9 March, 2023, Parliament received a petition from the Southern Africa Region Anti- Corruption Organisation requesting Parliament to intervene in tax and revenue collection. The petition was deemed inadmissible as the petitioners did not satisfy statutory requirements and failed to clearly state their prayer concerning the redress sought.”

Legislator Gezi said on the same day, a  Mr Alex Masisimani beseeched parliament to investigate why the Justice Smith Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations on Government pensioners are not being implemented.

She said the petition was referred to the Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development.

The legislator told her peers that, still on the same day, parliament received a petition from the Union for the Development of Apostolic Church in Zimbabwe, Africa, to pass an Act of Parliament on devolution.

The petition, she said, had since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.