NGOs push for self-regulation.

An online cartoon showing a government official stressing
the need for self regulation

Non-Governmental Organisations in the Western Region have vowed to push for changes in the laws governing them to allow for self-regulation.

 This came out at a meeting organized by NANGO to present the Shadow PVO Amendment Bill to civil society organisations in the region. The meeting was held in Bulawayo recently.

In its quest to facilitate a conducive environment for the operations of civil society organizations in Zimbabwe, NANGO has maintained consistency in calling for the amendment of the current PVO Act which governs the operations of NGOs.

It has also proposed through consultation with its membership, amendments to the PVO Act though the PVO Amendment Bill of September 2013. The bill deals with the cumbersome process of registering NGOs and also calls for the self-regulation of NGOs in the country.

Speaking at the meeting, the national chairperson of NANGO, Mr Paul Juru said the amendment of the Act is in line with the current government efforts to realign laws to the new constitution.

 “Nango wishes to advance the shadow PVO amendment bill which reduces the discretion of the board and allows for a more independent oversight mechanism. There is a need to reform the manner in which CSOs are registered to ensure the process is simple and harmonise the process to do away with numerous methods of registration,” he said.

Currently, the registration process has proven to be a mammoth task leaving many to register as trusts while doing NGOs work. Others on the other hand are registered under common law.

Juru added that “CSOs have over the years complained about challenges that include delays in the registration process, overregulation, and administrative interference in their operations by the regulatory authorities.”

Participants at the meeting hailed the move towards self–regulation and said that the adoption of the PVO Amendment Bill will reduce the interference of regulating authorities. They said self-regulation is not a new phenomenon in the country as legal practitioners regulate themselves through the Law Association of Zimbabwe and the media does the same through the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe.

They also said the adoption of the PVO Amendment Bill addresses separation of powers and reduces the power of one individual in terms of acceptance and rejection of applications.

With more than 400 pieces of legislation due for alignment with the new constitution, there is need for NGOs to unite and push for the adoption for the amendment of the current PVO ACT. The Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) are some of the laws which are set to be reviewed and aligned with the new constitution.