By Gerry Jackson

Parliament on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill to reform the central bank. In theory this should reduce the powers of bank governor Gideon Gono.

This is the first major law to be passed by parliament since the unity government was formed.

According to the bill, Gono’s powers will be reduced by appointing an independent chairperson and board for the bank.

Reuters news agency quotes Paul Mangwana, a ZANU PF member of the parliamentary legal committee, saying: “There have been extreme discussions with the Minister (Biti) that there be amendments … and we have agreed on these amendments.”

The bill has to now be debated by the Senate. If approved Mugabe would then have to sign it.

ZANU-PF legislators had last week threatened to block the bill, but
an agreement was reached between Biti and the ZANU-PF lawmakers to make changes to the Bill.

One of these changes was a clause giving immunity to the bank governor and employees “for anything done in good faith and without negligence”.

So it would appear that once again ZANU PF loyalists, who stand accused of helping to completely destroy Zimbabwe’s economy, will get off scot free.