President sets record straight on PVO Bill
Hosia Mviringi
Government has given the clearest indication to date that the Private Voluntary Organisation Bill will note be abandoned.
Breaking the silence to the media yesterday following a recent outcry by civic society players and Western diplomats, President Emmerson Mnangagwa broke government silence and set the record straight on the contentious bill.
Addressing a rally to drum up support for ZANU PF candidates for the upcoming March 26, 2022 by-elections at Chaminuka School in Chitungwiza yesterday, the President was unequivocal on government’s position.
“All Non Governmental Organisations Ipersting in this country must stick to the mandate if their licences. They must keep within their specific areas operation to which they were licenced. We will not hesitate to revoke their licences and chase them away if they digress from their mandate. We can do without them,” said the President.
Recently a coterie of Western sponsored NGOs, aided by lone voices in the diplomatic circles as led by the US Embassy have embarked on a crusade to try to whip up emotions and to force a rethink on the bill.
But government, through the bill, has made it clear that all NGOs must be registered and licenced to enable fair regulation of the sector who’s players in the past have been found guilty of digressing from their core humanitarian mandates by straddling the political line.
NGOs in Zimbabwe have in the past been accused of political meddling by diverting some funding meant for humanitarian purposes to sponsor activities of local opposition parties. Some NGOs have been accused of being fronts for hostile foreign governments bent on forcing illegal regime change.
The President scoffed at the recent utterances by opposition leader Nelson Chamisa that he will open floodgates for whites to return to the country within five days of him winning power.
The President, who sarcastically referred to Chamisa as ‘a son of a sell-out, declared that government and ZANU PF will never and should never allow him near state power.
“We used fire power to crush sellouts during the liberation struggle, but now we will continue to crush them with our vote,” he said.
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