HARARE – Insiza Rural District Council has ordered non-governmental organisations and civil society groups carrying out programmes in the district to “stop all operations with immediate effect” until they have provided information including their funders and bank account information.
The directive from Insiza’s district development coordinator Zacharia Jusa, dated January 17, is thought to be part of a countrywide crackdown on NGOs which the Zanu PF government accuses of political interference.
The Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill, which would legislate NGO operations, was sent back to parliament with reservations by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in October last year.
Local government minister Winston Chitando however appears determined to bring NGOs under government control.
Jusa said as part of an “operational audit,” NGOs must provide details about their operations by answering a 22-point questionnaire.
He wrote: “An ongoing operational audit requires your organisation to submit the information to the CEO of the Insiza RDC and office of the district development coordinator in line with the continuous monitoring exercise.”
The required information includes details of funders, bank account details and “foreign partners.”
Jusa added: “Whilst preparing the above documentation may you stop all operations with immediate effect. The prior requested 2024 development programmes are still due.”
Wilbert Mandinde, a lawyer for the Zimbabwe NGO Forum told ZimLive: “The directive has no basis at law. This is similar to the one which was done by Tafadzwa Muguti [provincial development coordinator] in Harare two years ago which the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum and Heal Zimbabwe Trust challenged in the High Court and was set aside.
“You cannot stop NGOs from operating on the basis that that they have not submitted some paper. There has to be a law to back that. You can’t just wake up and set conditions and immediately thereafter close NGOs.”
