By Tafadzwa Chigandiwa
Civic organisations and human rights experts have blasted President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration over the amendment of the ‘undemocratic and unconstitutional’ Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO) Bill.
Government on the 5th of November gazetted the PVO Amendment Bill presented by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.
The PVO Bill seeks to ‘regulate’ Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) preventing them from operating independently.
Regional rights lobby group, Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN) said the Bill is a significant threat to the civic space and contrary to chapter 14 of the Zimbabwean Constitution.
“Before passing any such legislation and considering its potential impact on the ordinary people as end beneficiaries of the work of NGOs, the government of Zimbabwe should first initiate an extensive consultation process with civil society as outlined in Chapter 14 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe if it wishes to change the legal framework through which NGOs come into existence and operate in Zimbabwe,” SAHRDN said.
According to government the Bill seeks to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism by any individuals and other independent institutions in Zimbabwe.
Albeit, SAHRDN argues that there is no history of money laundering by NGOs in the country: “There is no history that the NGOs in Zimbabwe have been involved in any way in money laundering or financing of terrorism in a way that warrants significant concern to overhaul the legal registration and operating framework.”
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO director Musa Kika described the PVO Bill as a “smokescreen” to infringe some private organisations and NGOs their freedom.
Kika also said citizens are not free to enjoy the country’s constitutional rights and freedoms.
“Good governance, rule of law, democracy and constitutionalism must manifest in lived realities, not on paper. The question is: are the people free to act and speak as their Constitution allows?
“Are people enjoying better socio-economic living realities? These are the real tests of good governance. Anything less, is pretence and rhetoric, smokescreens which amount to performing democracy as opposed to living democracy,” he fumed.
Kika added: “Unfortunately, the realities in Zimbabwe speak to a non performing democracy. The regressive amendments to the Constitution, the proposed anti-democratic laws, the gazetted Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) amendment bill, and the constriction of the civic space among many others, is cause for concern.”
This article was produced with financial support of the Content Creators Network ZW.
