PVO Bill does not ban NGOs: Minister Ziyambi

Furthermore, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi said the establishment of the specialised courts reflected the “deepening and essential collaboration between the Judiciary, the National Prosecuting Authority and the Executive arm of the State in confronting one of the most significant threats to our nation’s social fabric, public health and future prosperity. This is the pandemic of drug and substance abuse.”

Farirai Machivenyika-Senior Reporter

The Private Voluntary Organisation Bill does not ban political parties from forming any organisations to fundraise for them but outlaws those that stray from their mandate to dabble into politics, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi told the National Assembly yesterday.

Parliament resumed sitting yesterday after a month-long recess to enable the hosting of the 44th Sadc Summit, which the country hosted at the new Parliament Building in Mt Hampden last month.

Minister Ziyambi said this during the committee stage of the Bill while responding to contributions by CCC Dzivarasekwa representative, Mr Edwin Mushoriwa that provisions of the Bill could affect activities of Zanu PF affiliate organisations like Forever Associates Zimbabwe.

“This Bill doesn’t ban any political party to form any organisation that can fundraise for them. What is outlawed is to use charitable funding to finance political parties. FAZ is funded by individuals within a political party and has never fundraised from the public.

“In other words, it doesn’t receive any public funding at all. It is a purely private organisation. So, Heritage Trust and FAZ will continue to exist for as long as they don’t breach provisions of the PVO Act,” Minister Ziyambi said.

The Minister added that NGOs must do their work in an unbiased manner.

“NGOs must do their work in a non-partisan manner and that will be allowed and for these NGOs, it doesn’t matter which political party they are affiliated to, for as long as they don’t comply with provisions of the Act they will fall foul of the Act,” Minister Ziyambi said.

He urged the NGOs to stick to the mandate they applied for when they were registered, adding that Government had no problem working with such organisations as long as they operate within the dictates of the law.