The Public Voluntary Organisation Amendment Bill sailed through Senate on 17 October 2024 and now awaits signing by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
This is the second time that the Bill was going through Parliament after a previous version was returned to the National Assembly before ascension after the President registered reservations but Parliament was dissolved before the assembly could reconsider it so the Bill lapsed. A new Bill was published in January 2024.
What are the variations between the 2023 Bill and the latest instalment?
Analysis by Veritas shows that a number of changes were made to the Amendment Bill and these include:
- A new preamble recognising the important role of PVOs
- Retention of the PVO Borad
- State-sponsored aid agencies will not have to register
- Government’s power over Trusts and other associations will be increased (Section 6)
- Principles governing PVOs
- Limited powers of the Registrar of PVOs
- Registration of PVOs – the Registrar will be able to demand particulars of persons who are beneficial owners of the PVO or who otherwise control it.
- Prohibition of political activism by PVOs (Section 20A and 23(4))
Does the Bill spell trouble for some NGOs?
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum fears the government will use the new legal provisions to target its critics in the civil society, especially human rights defenders whose work the ruling ZANU-PF party equates to political support for the opposition movement.
What does the government say about politics and NGOs?
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi is on record saying; NGOs working professionally within the law and the agreed mandate have no need to worry, but has warned that the government would weed out those it deemed to be pursuing partisan political agendas behind the curtain of humanitarian programmes.
Are some NGO directors spies for foreign governments?
In a debate in the Senate before the PVO Amendment Bill was passed on 31January 2023, Senator Tichinani Mavetera from Manicaland province accused some private voluntarily organisations (PVOs) of being nests of spies. “Some of the directors of these PVOs are operatives of foreign governments,” he said in a sweeping statement, without giving any details.
The NGO Human Rights Forum has dismissed such accusations in the past as politicking by ZANU-PF figures to justify amendments seeking to control or literally run NGOs, and its crackdown plans against perceived opponents.
How important is the NGO sector in Zimbabwe?
NGOs play a big role in Zimbabwe’s social and economic life, providing humanitarian services such as food aid in times of shortages, support in education, and critically in health — with contributions towards some disease control programmes accounting for up to 80 percent of the budget for decades.
While the Zimbabwe government says it recognises this important contribution, it argues that the country needs strong legislation to deal with errant organisations abusing funds and straying into domestic politics.
Sources:
Parliamentary Hansard
Veritas
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
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