PVO Bill spells doom for NGOs
By Memory Mudzani
The Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) Amendment Bill, which was passed on the 31st of January by the Zimbabwean parliament, is seen by critics as a drive against non-governmental organizations (NGOS) championing political rights, greater transparency and accountability in governance and use of national resources.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum fears that 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.
From the parliamentary Hansard as recorded by ZimFact, the Zimbabwe government says the PVO bill which became a law on 31 January 2023 aims to improve financial accountability in the sector and the monitoring of funding so that NGOs do not get use as channels of money laundering or promotion of terrorism.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said NGOs that are working professionally within the law and the agreed mandate have no need to worry, but he warned that the government would weed out those it deemed to be pursuing partisan political agendas behind the curtain of humanitarian programs.
During the debate in the Senate before the PVO Amendment Bill was passed, Senator Tichinani Mavetera from Manicaland province accused some private voluntarily organizations (PVOs) of being nests of spies, without giving any details and accusations such as this are said to have been dismissed by the NGO Human Rights Forum in the past as politicking by ZANU-PF figures to justify amendments seeking to control NGOs.
According to Parliamentary Hansard the government said it has tightened the law partly to deal with NGOs being used to funnel money into political parties, against legislation banning foreign funding for Zimbabwean parties.
Zimfact recorded that the government has not publicly shared any details of its suspicions that NGOs are being used to funnel money into political parties, against legislation ,it also states that there is no record of any organizations or political parties facing court charges of breaking the law on the funding of parties.
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum said NGOs play a big role in Zimbabwe’s social and economic life by providing humanitarian services such as food aid in times of shortages, support in education, and in health.
The Zimbabwe government says it recognizes this important contribution, it argues that the country needs strong legislation to deal with errant organizations abusing funds and straying into domestic politics.
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