NGOs fear clampdown

Civil rights groups in Zimbabwe are concerned that their operations could be further curtailed following reports that the government is to amend legislation governing NGOs. "In order to ensure that the operations of Non-Governmental Organisations are consistent with, and supportive of, government policies and programmes, the Non-Governmental Organisations Bill will amend the current act and broaden the definition of NGOs to include trusts," the local Daily News reported President Robert Mugabe as saying at the opening of parliament this week. Rights activists and NGOs allege that the legislation is the latest attempt by the government to crack down on dissent in the country. Over the past two years the government and rights organisations have been at loggerheads, with the authorities accusing NGOs of furthering foreign interests. "We are not shocked by the news and, in fact, this has been on the cards since the early 1990s. However, this is the first time that it looks like the legislation may actually come before parliament. This signals to civil society that the government is running scared, afraid of criticism. Our major concern is that our work, especially in rural areas, will be further impeded. Already members of civil rights groups cannot go into certain areas to conduct interviews regarding human rights violations," Crisis in Zimbabwe spokeswoman Everjoice Win told IRIN. Last year NGOs resisted a government order to register under the Private Voluntary Organisations Act, saying they were operating as trusts and were, therefore, not governed by the legislation. "If the bill is approved by parliament, the government will have unfettered access to the operations of NGOs. Authorities will have the right to investigate who our funders are and, if they choose, may even deregister some of the groups," Win said. But, one analyst told IRIN, if the move was indeed an attempt to muzzle opposition, the government may find itself faced with several legal challenges. "It is really an exercise in futility since there are several groups registered as trusts and as private companies. Existing legislation prohibits any government interference," senior political science lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe John Makumbe said. Meanwhile, the government also announced plans to introduce legislation giving workers part-ownership in local industries as part of a black empowerment drive. But critics say the initiative was politically motivated and aimed to convince domestic investors to remain in Zimbabwe. It is estimated that foreign investors pulled out Zim $17.3 billion (US $20 million) from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) in the first six months of this year, more than five times the amount of funds withdrawn by foreign businesses last year. "The promise of greater shares in the economy is directed at those who already have money. So, black economic empowerment will not make any significant difference, especially since the economy is in free-fall," Makumbe said.