The controversial Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill has moved a step closer to becoming law after passing through the Senate. It now awaits President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s signature to take effect.
Rights activists and opposition groups argue that once signed into law, the PVO Bill will severely restrict the ability of government critics, civil society organizations (CSOs), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to operate freely in Zimbabwe.
The PVO Bill was first passed by the Senate in February 2023, but President Mnangagwa referred it back to Parliament for reconsideration.
According to <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200038247/mass-ngo-cso-closures-loom">NewsDay</a>, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, while addressing senators, said the amendments to the Bill, include the establishment of a board to oversee the registration and operations of charitable entities in Zimbabwe.
The amendments, which were approved in the National Assembly, provide clearer definitions for pre-existing charitable entities and outline the registration process.
According to Ziyambi, the transitional provision requires charitable entities to submit their registration documents to the registrar within three months of the Act coming into force.
However, this does not imply that entities will be fully registered within three months. Instead, the registrar will use the submission date as the starting point for the registration process, which may take longer to complete.
Ziyambi said the registrar is a member of the board and reports to it, with all registration matters being discussed at board meetings for approval or further action.
He argued that the three-month timeline is reasonable, providing entities sufficient time to submit applications without delaying the registration process.
Ziyambi also pointed out that entities will have the right to seek legal recourse if they are dissatisfied with any decisions made during the registration process.
PVOs and NGOs will be required to register with the Registrar’s Office, which has the authority to approve, reject, or grant applications with limited judicial or administrative recourse against such decisions.

Pindula News

The Senate approved a new law that will make it harder for critics and organizations to work freely in Zimbabwe. The President needs to sign it for it to become a law. The law includes new rules for charitable organizations to register and operate in the country. It gives a three-month deadline for organizations to submit their registration documents. The registration process may take longer than three months. Organizations can challenge decisions made during the registration process. They will need to register with the Registrar's Office, which has power over their applications.

Senate Approves Controversial PVO Amendment Bill

Suspected ZANU PF youths on Friday disrupted public hearings on the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill in Gweru and Harare.
The PVO Amendment Bill, gazetted on 5th November 2021, seeks to regulate the operations of civic groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
As reported by <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200027071/zanu-pf-youths-disrupt-pvo-bill-hearings">NewsDay</a>, in Gweru, the meeting was abandoned after the ruling party youths heckled the officials led by Senator Sisasenkosi Ndebele, forcing her to leave the venue of the meeting.
In her welcome remarks, Ndebele had said the meeting was non-political and participants were “free to air their views”.
After disrupting the meeting, the youths reportedly started singing in support of President Emmerson Mnangagwa asking why “people hated him”.
During the meeting, the ZANU PF youths would clap their hands when fellow party members were making their submissions but boo other participants’ contributions.
In their support of the Bill, the youths unanimously said it would “curb terrorism” by monitoring the activities of non-profit organisations.
They maintain that NGOs harbour a “regime change agenda” through support from “hostile Western countries”.
In Harare, police had to be called in after suspected ZANU PF youths disrupted the public hearing held at the Ambassador Hotel.
The hearing was abandoned after participants largely from ZANU PF and some religious sects started singing party songs in response to a young woman who had criticised the Bill.
The young woman had said the Bill gave the responsible minister overarching powers to interfere in the work of civic groups.
She left the room fearing for her life following the heckling by ZANU PF supporters.
Critics of the Bill argue that it undermines freedoms of expression and association and gives the government unjustifiable control over the operations of civic groups.
Among other provisions, the PVO Bill stipulates that NGOs and civic society organisations (CSOs) should disclose their sources of funding.
The organisations are required to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government defining their activities and zones of geographic coverage.
The Bill gives the government the authority to “deregister any private voluntary organisation that fails to comply with its conditions of registration.”
In February 2023, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that he would “speedily” sign into law the Private Voluntary Organisation Bill (PVO) once it reaches his desk.
He said no amount of pressure from foreign governments will stop the signing of the Bill into law.
However, when the Bill eventually reached his desk, Mnangagwa did not sign it but referred it back to Parliament for reconsideration after he raised reservations about certain aspects of the Bill.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Rowdy ZANU PF Youths Disrupt PVO Bill Hearings

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) has criticised President <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Emmerson_Mnangagwa">Emmerson Mnangagwa</a> for labelling some local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) “rogue” and “surrogate entities“. Mnangagwa made the <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/be-wary-of-rouge-ngos-mnangagwa/">remarks during a speech</a> commemorating Zimbabwe’s 43 years of independence. Mnangagwa said:
<blockquote>
No voices, foreign or local, inclusive of rogue NGOs, should sow seeds of division and disharmony among us.
</blockquote>
The president’s remarks come as the ruling ZANU PF is trying to pass the <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/?s=pvo">Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill</a>, which local NGOs argue will enable the government to interfere in their affairs and restrict their activities. 
In response, CiZC defended the role of NGOs and accused Mnangagwa of trying to shift blame for Zimbabwe’s problems onto them, rather than taking responsibility for the government’s own failures.
A spokesperson for the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC), <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Obert_Masaraure">Obert Masaraure</a>, criticized the President for engaging in a blame game and not acknowledging that the real problem facing the country was the inequality caused by a small group of privileged people looting national resources. He said:
<blockquote>
Massive looting of national wealth revealed in the Gold Mafia documentary and other previous publications is driving inequality.
</blockquote>
<a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/?s=gold+mafia">Gold Mafia</a> is a documentary by Al Jazeera that allegedly exposes <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/?s=smuggling">gold smuggling and money laundering</a> within and around Zimbabwe.  <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/gold-mafia-grace-mugabe-accused-of-smuggling-diamonds-and-ivory/">Some prominent government officials</a> were implicated in the multi-million-dollar gold smuggling and money laundering racket.
Masaraure stated that inequality is the main cause of instability because the majority of people who are excluded demand a share of the national wealth that has been taken by a small minority for personal gain. He called on the President, who is accused of being involved in this looting, to revise the government’s economic model to benefit the majority instead of the few. He added that peace and stability will only be possible if national resources are distributed fairly.
Masaraure stated that the President’s comments were linked to his government’s attempts to restrict civil society organizations. He argued that the proposed PVO bill is an effort to silence civil society, which plays an important role in holding those in power accountable.
Masaraure, who is also the president of ARTUZ, vowed that CiZC will continue to fight for good governance, in accordance with the national constitution, regardless of the government’s attempts to restrict their activities.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

CiZC Criticises President Mnangagwa For Labelling NGOs "Rogue"

Leaders of various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) met President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House in Harare on Friday.
<a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200009072/csos-meet-ed-over-pvos-bill">NewsDay</a> reported that the meeting was a last-minute bid by CSOs to persuade Mnangagwa to stop signing the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill into law.
The Bill is currently being scrutinised by the Attorney-General’s (AG) office after it sailed through Parliament.
In a tweet, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Ndavaningi Nick Mangwana confirmed the meeting. He wrote:
<blockquote>
Late this afternoon HE President Emmerson Mnangagwa met and engaged with representatives of CSOs in Zimbabwe at State House.
The subject of the engagement was the PVOs Bill which is currently being tidied up by the AG. The meeting was cordial and good-natured.
</blockquote>
Some of the CSOs leaders who attended the meeting include Jenni Williams (Women Arise Zimbabwe), Isaac Maphosa, and Musa Kika (Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum).
The trio reportedly refused to disclose the outcome of their meeting with Mnangagwa.
But representatives from Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition were excluded from the meeting.
Critics of the amended PVOs Bill say it will enable the government to severely restrict the operations of civil society organisations.
The government will be able to deregister CSOs perceived as rogue or susceptible to money laundering and funding terrorism.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Civil Society Organisations Leaders Meet Mnangagwa Over PVOs Bill

The Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Amendment Bill now awaits President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s assent to become law after it was passed by the Senate.
The Bill has been criticised by opposition parties and civic groups who argued that it will restrict the democratic space.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum recently said the country could lose about US$1 billion annually if the Bill is signed into law.
The proposed law will reportedly give broad powers to the government to control the operations of civil society organisations (CSOs).
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs told Senate on Thursday:
<blockquote>
This Bill does not speak to those law-abiding organisations, but those who come in the guise of charity to carry out undesirable harmful and criminal activities.
For instance, we received communication from the Financial Action Taskforce that some charitable trusts are being misused as a means of channelling funds to fund terrorism and other criminal activities.
</blockquote>
ZANU PF senators on Thursday supported the passage of the Bill, saying it was necessary to tame “rogue” NGOs and CSOs.
While opposing the passage of the Bill, MDC Alliance Senator Morgen Komichi urged the government to enact laws that would ensure foreign organisations supporting developmental projects in the country conduct their operations without hindrance. | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200006897/senate-passes-pvos-billas-usaid-warns-of-funding-threat">NewsDay</a>

Senate Passes PVOs Amendment Bill

The government has established committees in the country’s districts to monitor non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and ensure that they do not deviate from their mandate.
This was revealed by Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare deputy minister Lovemore Matuke on Thursday while responding to senators who wanted to know why the government was targeting NGOs. Said Matuke:
<blockquote>
What we have done as a ministry is, we have got a committee at the district level, it is an inter-ministerial committee which is at every district and also has the duty to monitor the operations of NGOs.
Every NGO which provides anything to any community has to go through that committee and also when they go out there to give whatever they want to give, they seek approval from our offices.
Those who deviate from their mandate, normally we delist them, but we can only do that when we get reports that this NGO has deviated from its mandate.
Sometimes we get information from the local councillors as to whether the NGOs are following their mandates because I can see your question is that there are NGOs that go out there not to help people, but to do things which are a bit evil in terms of politicising, maybe whatever they will be giving.
If we get knowledge of any of those NGOs, the ministry will not hesitate to delist the NGO from our books so that they will not continue with their operations.
</blockquote>
The Government is currently crafting the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill which seeks to regulate the operations of NGOs in the country.
Critics say the Bill, which is currently before the National Assembly, will result in employees at civic society organisations losing their jobs and also constrict the democratic space if it is passed in its current form.
However, the Government has defended the Bill, saying will fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism. | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200000303/govt-monitors-hostile-ngos">NewsDay</a>

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