Assignment of Functions (Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development) (Amendment) Notice, 2024 (No. 1)
The Lands and Agriculture Minister loses the energy portfolio Acts — electricity, ZERA, pipelines, rural electrification, meteorological services and the Zambezi River Authority — and picks up the Sugar Production Control Act with Industry and Commerce.
This notice amends the Schedule to the Assignment of Functions notice for the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development (S.I. 203 of 2023), which lists the Acts that Minister administers.
Seven Acts are removed: the Meteorological Services Act [Chapter 13:21], the Electricity Act [Chapter 13:19], the Energy Regulatory Authority Act [Chapter 13:23], the Mozambique-Feruka Pipeline Act [Chapter 13:07], the Pipelines Act [Chapter 13:08], the Rural Electrification Fund Act [Chapter 13:20], and the Zambezi River Authority Act [Chapter 20:23], which had been jointly administered with the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage.
One Act is added: the Sugar Production Control Act [Chapter 18:19], to be co-administered with the Minister of Industry and Commerce.
The practical consequence is about which Minister signs. Regulations, licences, appointments and approvals under the energy and meteorological statutes no longer come from the Lands and Agriculture Minister, while decisions under the Sugar Production Control Act now require that Minister acting with Industry and Commerce. The notice does not say which Minister the removed Acts move to — that has to be read from the corresponding assignment notice for the receiving Minister.
No commencement date is stated; the notice was gazetted on 10 May 2024. It is made under the Constitution rather than under a specific Act.
What changed
- Meteorological Services Act, Electricity Act, Energy Regulatory Authority Act, Mozambique-Feruka Pipeline Act, Pipelines Act and Rural Electrification Fund Act removed from the Lands and Agriculture Minister
- Zambezi River Authority Act, previously jointly administered with Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, also removed
- Sugar Production Control Act [Chapter 18:19] added, co-administered with the Minister of Industry and Commerce
Who this affects
- sugar producers and millers regulated under the Sugar Production Control Act
- electricity licensees and ZERA-regulated operators
- rural electrification programme administrators
- government legal drafters and ministry permanent secretaries
Plain-language summary — not legal advice. Always read the full instrument.