Harare — A dramatic showdown unfolded in the Senate on Wednesday as CCC Senator, and Sengezo Tshabangu launched a blistering attack on government ministers over the Occupational Safety and Health Bill, threatening to deny Parliament the quorum needed to pass the legislation unless ministers showed greater respect for lawmakers’ input.

Speaking during the debate on the Bill, which is currently undergoing its Second Reading in the upper house, Tshabangu accused ministers of approaching Parliament with an arrogant attitude and treating legislators as mere rubber stamps.

“Madam President, when we make laws we should not be partisan. The ministers when they come to present their bill here they should not rubber stamp. We are disappointed, this attitude, this arrogance that is being perpetuated by the ministers,” Tshabangu fumed.

The Matabeleland North senator warned that he was prepared to withdraw from the proceedings entirely, insisting that lawmakers deserved to be treated with dignity.

“What I am saying is we ought to be respected. When we make input, it is not that we want to be employed there. We are making these laws for the future, but the ministers cannot come as if it is written for them,” he said.

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Drawing on his own experience, Tshabangu declared: “We have been into labour, we know what we are talking about. You cannot make laws like this. This is unheard of. I have to express my displeasure.”

In a direct warning to the executive, the CCC senator declared: “The minister should be considerate. If they want to parcel out the laws, they should do it on their own, they should not come here. Why should we give them a quorum for the Bill to pass? We do not want to be involved this way. We are not going to give you the quorum for the Bill to pass.”

Background on the Bill

The Occupational Safety and Health Bill, gazetted in August 2025, seeks to establish a comprehensive governance framework for workplace safety in Zimbabwe.

It is designed to replace the outdated Factories and Works Act and consolidate occupational safety and health regulations under one coherent framework.

Among its key provisions, the Bill enshrines workers’ right to refuse unsafe work, granting employees the legal authority to decline tasks that pose imminent danger to their safety or health without fear of dismissal or punishment.

It also provides for the creation of the Zimbabwe Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Council and a dedicated Department of Occupational Safety and Health under the National Social Security Authority.

Employers are explicitly obligated under Clause 13 to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and free from unacceptable health risks.

Workers, in turn, are entitled to information on workplace safety measures, consultation with employers on safety matters, and appropriate training during paid working hours. The Bill further expands regulation of machinery, hazardous substances and workplace conditions.

The legislation is seen as critical for aligning Zimbabwe’s labour laws with international standards, particularly those of the International Labour Organization.

Official data shows that the country recorded 4,242 workplace accidents and 70 fatalities in 2024 alone, underscoring the urgency of reforming the current legal framework.