Artists look to Parliament for enactment of Nahec Bill
National Arts and Heritage Council (Nahec) Draft Bill Taskforce said Thursday that they were hoping that legislators will this time around look into the affairs of the creative sector.
President Lazarus Chakwera is expected to open the 50th session of Parliament Friday.
Artists have for a long time bemoaned lack of support from the government and, currently, they are lobbying for the enactment of Nahec Draft Bill which will lead to the establishment of Nahec.
Nahec Taskforce has been meeting the Parliamentary Committee on Social and Community Affairs alongside its line ministry and Ministry of Justice in their pursuit for the enactment of Nahec Bill.
“We have been having fruitful meetings as regards Nahec Draft Bill. You may also recall that there were some things that the Parliamentary Committee on Social and Community Affairs and Legal Committee pointed out that there were some instruments that needed perfection; so, we are looking forward to the Draft Bill being tabled,” Nahec Taskforce Draft Bill Chairperson Maxwell Chiphinga, said.
Parliamentary Committee on Social and Community Affairs has acknowledged that Nahec Draft Bill is long overdue and that it is high time it was enacted into law.
The committee’s chairperson Savel Kafwafwa said recently that they were determined to make the draft bill into a law.
“This is a mother council which will be a parasol and so, all stakeholders and councils attached need to be in,” he said.
Kafwafwa then said their target was to make sure that the bill gets to Parliament in the next budget meeting.
He also said that with the government overwhelmed with so many bills, the Nahec Draft Bill can be considered for the Private Members Bill.
