Assignment of Functions (Minister of Local Government and Public Works) (Amendment) Notice, 2024 (No.1)

This notice adds seven Acts to the schedule of laws administered by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, amending the Assignment of Functions notice published in S.I. 204 of 2023.

The Minister takes sole administration of the Architects Act [Chapter 27:01], the Valuers Act [Chapter 27:18], and the Immovable Property (Prevention of Discrimination) Act [Chapter 10:02].

Four are shared. The Communal Lands Act [Chapter 20:04] is co-administered with the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development. The Harare Municipality Building (Private) Act [Chapter 25:05], the Housing and Building Act and the Housing Standards Control Act [Chapter 29:08] are co-administered with the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities.

What this means in practice is who signs the regulations, who issues the ministerial approvals and who answers to Parliament on these statutes — the substance of the Acts themselves does not change. Architects and valuers, in particular, now look to Local Government rather than their previous ministry for regulation of their professions.

One drafting slip: the Housing Standards Control Act [Chapter 29:08] appears twice in the list — once bundled with the Housing and Building Act and once on its own. The duplication has no substantive effect but suggests the list was assembled from two sources.