Tinaani Nyabereka
Gweru– Vendors Initiative for Socio Economic Transformation (VISET) last week engaged office bearers and civic society organisations on the Private Voluntary Organisations Bill.
The Bill which was drafted last year is set to tighten screws on the operations of Civic Society Organisations (CSOs) on assumption that non-governmental organisations are working on the basis of financing terrorism and spearheading regime change.
Addressing various stakeholders during an engagement meeting with office bearers in Gweru last week, Viset Director Sam Wadzai said there was need to ensure that Members of Parliament (MPs) and CSOs understand how the PVO bill was structured and how CSOs operate.
He added that the bill was huge considering how CSOs were going to be negatively affected with this proposed amendment.
“We want to appreciate that government wants to govern the operations of CSOs through the PVO bill and we all recall that public consultations were done. After that process, we then realised the need for us to engage our MPs to understand what the bill holds for us.
“The CSO bill is proposing changes on the economic and developmental aspects of the country. We feel that we need to help our MPs to understand the bill so that when they debate it, they are well vested because CSOs are always there to work with government,” said Wadzai.
Unpacking the bill, Viset Information and Publicity officer, Jabulani Chikomwe said government was raising assumptions on how some civic society groups were engaging in politics.
“As I elaborate on this bill, government seeks to control and have a direct regulation on the operations of CSOs as other civic players are believed to be venturing into partisan politics. What government should understand is that there is a broad perspective where many interventions are being taken by CSOs to complement government efforts, we can even go back to issues of cyclone Idai, hunger, cases of abuse in rural communities, Covid-19, and humanitarian among other issues.
“So in as much as the bill seeks to give the minister ultimate power, we feel that such regulations may cripple the operations of CSOs because they get funding from various developmental partners. Besides that, the bill will affect the wellbeing of women and people with disabilities who are constantly getting aid from the donor community,” he said.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association director, Conerlia Selipiwe said there was need to foster compliance on issues to do with money laundering as the laws were already there.
“We have laws which govern and curb issues to do with money laundering and feel such laws must be put into practice and be implemented to deal with illicit and financial terrorism rather than having the whole PVO bill to regulate that aspect
“The documentation of CSOs was done properly and the paper work can be found at the Deeds office. We are also complying when it comes to all the paperwork which government may require, are working well with government using the current PVO Act, hence we do not see the need for the bill,” he added.
National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO), Midlands Coordinator Titus Mangoma said the coming in of the bill was already going against a number of constitutional rights.
