Print

Mail

wiki links

Zimbabwe moves to rein in uncooperative NGOs

"Unfortunately the [NGO funding] bill criminalizes a sector that is providing social safety nets to a lot of communities throughout the country."

Zimbabwe's National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations

Civic and non-governmental groups in Zimbabwe have vowed to fight a tough new law that has been proposed by the government, which could see them deregistered and cut off from much-needed foreign funding.

The proposed bill seeks to tighten regulations in relation to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the crisis-hit country, whom President Robert Mugabe's ruling party is accusing of being embroiled in politics in an attempt to overthrow his government.

Mugabe has in the past accused Britain, the US and other Western countries of working to oust him and has vowed he would not allow NGOs "to be conduits or instruments of foreign interference in our national affairs."

The bill also seeks to cut off foreign funding for organizations involved in the promotion of human rights and other governance issues.

Civic groups gathered at a public debate in the capital Harare this week, however, say the proposed law is aimed at closing them down because they are critical of the government.

grappling

Zimbabwe has been grappling with runaway inflation of just under 400 percent, 70 percent unemployment and capital flight ever since Mugabe launched a controversial land reform program that saw thousands of white-owned farms seized and redistributed to landless blacks.

The bill is expected to sail through parliament, but civic groups have vowed to protest against it.

"The regime is desperate to reduce democratic space to a minimum and to totally silence all other voices that are not [ruling] ZANU-PF voices," said John Makumbe, a rights activist and political science lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.

Nokuthula Moyo, of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, said the proposed law is "purely intended to tighten state control ... to make NGOs entities which can be run by a minister."

"A minister's controls are now [going to be] tightened around the day-to-day activities of our lives," Moyo said, adding that even sports or social clubs are going to be affected.

Makumbe said: "They are dropping the `N' from the NGOs. NGOs will become government organizations."

Moyo added, however, "We can do something. We have to resurrect the [street] demonstrations. We have to lobby locally, we have to lobby regionally."

"We should litigate, somebody has to be courageous enough to take this to the Supreme Court," he said.

Makumbe added the "bill is intended to wreak havoc upon our society," saying the government was determined to starve NGOs of any meaningful resources ... "[so] they will eventually collapse and preferably before the elections [next year]."

umbrella body

An umbrella body of all NGOs in the the country, the National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (NANGO) believes the proposed law will hit hard the ordinary Zimbabweans who benefit from the work of the civic groups.

It said "unfortunately the bill criminalizes a sector that is providing social safety nets to a lot of communities throughout the country."

Up to 80 percent of Zimbabweans live under the poverty line, unemployment is estimated at between 60 and 80 percent and one-quarter of the 12.6 million-strong population is infected with HIV and AIDS.

NANGO says the "NGO sector is a safety net and hope for the nation."

Zimbabwe has an estimated 5,000 NGOs, the majority of them providing relief for HIV and AIDS.
This story has been viewed 2063 times.