Thabiso Nxumalo
The controversial Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) Amendment Bill has sent Civic Society Organizations (CSOs) and PVOs in a state of frenzy as they have launched a massive nationwide campaign against the bill in a bid to deter it from being passed into law.
Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) director, Jestina Mukoko said CSOs cannot sit back and watch the populace’s rights being stripped away and as such have engaged in conscientising the public about the bill and launched a petition against it.
“We cannot remain silent as an organization that fights for human rights when the rights of our people are being stripped away.
“This bill if passed will definitely shrink the civic space and will disadvantage citizens as beneficiaries from various PVOs that is why we have come together in unity as such organizations to educate our people of what might befall them when such a bill is passed.
“We urge the nation to sign this petition, and if this bill passes in parliament, we as organizations that are seen as anti-government risk being overtaken by the government as the bill gives power to the minister to run the organization if any ‘irregularities’ are suspected,” said Mukoko.
ZPP wrote in a statement that extreme poverty and withdrawal of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) will be the order of the day if the bill passes.
“Vulnerable groups will be exposed to extreme poverty, many churches work with foreign-based charity organisations so by putting restrictions on foreign funding for NGOs, the Bill will lead to many charity groups withdrawing their support leading to extreme poverty among vulnerable groups,” read part of the statement.
The petition which is directed to the speaker and members of parliament is circulating on Twitter under the hashtag #StopThePVOBill and has, as of February 24, 2022 garnered 461 signatures out of the 800-mark set goal on The Action Network website.
