Zimbabwe is pressing ahead with a controversial Bill that critics say seeks to criminalise the operations of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the country. According to senior government officials, amendments to the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Act is designed to stop illegal money from coming into the country under the guise of NGO funding, but is allegedly used to push a political agenda and political lobbying. The ruling party, Zanu PF, has been suspicious of NGOs, routinely accusing them of working with hostile foreign countries to push what it calls a "regime change agenda". In recent days, members of the [...]

THE banning of non-governmental organisations through the proposed Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Amendment Bill will have dire economic and political consequences for Zimbabwe that could spiral into a serious crisis, human rights groups have warned. The government is pushing for the PVOs Act to monitor and ban NGOs perceived to be political. Parliamentary hearings have already begun, although wracked with violence in some parts of the country where suspected Zanu-PF activists have been accused of trying to block others from contributing. According to a report released this month on the possible economic impact of the PVOs Amendment Bill gazetted in [...]