RIGHTS-ZIMBABWE: NGO Activity Still Limited

By Ephraim Nsingo

HARARE, Sep 8 (IPS) - Despite the Aug. 29 lifting of a ban on the operations of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Zimbabwe, representatives of civil society report they are still unable to operate freely.

At least five million Zimbabweans currently need food aid following a poor harvest in the last farming season. Foodstuffs have disappeared from most retail outlets.

According to the National Association of Non Governmental Organisations (NANGO) –- which represents NGOs, including civil society organisations in Zimbabwe -- the government has actually tightened its grip.

On Sep. 1, Lancaster Museka, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, convened a general meeting of NGOs "to clarify operation modalities" on the lifting of the ban. Representatives of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the United Nations and various NGOs attended the meeting.

Museka told the NGOs "the meeting was convened to give to NGOs a methodology of re-engagement and re-introduction after the suspension."

He later told IPS the government was now going to closely monitor the operations of NGOs.

"The freeze was necessitated by reports that several NGOs were operating outside the terms of their registered mandates. Some were not following operational guidelines and some were dabbling in partisan politics. A number of NGOs will have to answer for their iniquities," said Museka.

He would not be drawn into elaborating which organisations would be answerable.

Museka said only those organisations involved in humanitarian assistance -- food aid, relief, recovery and development, family and child care and protection, care and protection of older persons, rights and empowerment of people with disabilities, HIV and AIDS treatment, care and related support services -- would be cleared to resume operations.

"The government will introduce a number of measures to make sure that organisations carry out only those duties for which they are registered. These measures include a monitoring and evaluation instrument," said Museka.

This, said Fambai Ngirande, NANGO's Advocacy and Public Policy Manager, will make it even more difficult for NGOs to operate.

"On paper, the ban has been lifted, but practically, the government has actually tightened the screws on the operations of NGOs," said Ngirande.

"For example, militias who were blocking NGO personnel in the villages are still on the ground. The lifting of the suspension is selective and excludes thousands of organisations either registered as trusts or universitas as well as organisations registered as PVOs (private voluntary organisations) but not doing humanitarian, development or welfare work."

Most of the organisations whose activities remain suspended are community based; their exclusion is doubly significant because bigger organisations operated mostly through their structures.

Ngirande however said this requirement was against the provisions of the law. Instead, it sounded more in line with legislation -- abandoned in 2005 that would have tightened government control of registration of NGOS and prevented them from receiving foreign funding for their work.

"It is NANGO's considered view that the new requirements essentially operationalise the contested NGO Bill of 2005, at a time when Zimbabwe requires a positive state-civil society relationship to address the devastating humanitarian conditions in the country," added Ngirande.

An official with a leading aid organisation, requesting anonymity, said militias aligned to the governing Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) were barring them from independently distributing aid.

"It is now very difficult to operate. The problem is that if you voice your concern, you would be accused of working with enemies of the state, and we might be deregistered," said the official.

Among other things, NGOs are now required to operate within structures set by the government. This means food distribution will be supervised by Village and Ward Development Committees, traditional chiefs and councillors, who will also screen beneficiaries. In the past, NGOs distributed aid through their own field workers, with collaboration from local government.

"From experience, the structures set up by the government are partisan and exclude a large section of needy Zimbabweans," added the official.

The continued restrictions are affecting villagers in the country's remote districts the most. During a recent visit to outlying communities in Matabeleland South Province, IPS observed that some villagers are now surviving on wild roots and fruits as they have run out of the staple food, maize.

"For us this is hell on earth. We have tried all means possible to survive, but nothing seems to be working. They told us the ban has been lifted, but as you can see, we have not received anything. We have not been informed when we will be getting the food," said Tawana Phuti from Masendu communal lands, near the western border town of Plumtree.

Masendu, like most parts of Matabeleland South, is characterised by mostly semi-arid conditions.

"It's been days since we last had a proper meal... This year things appear to be getting out of hand. My two children dropped out of school and have since gone to South Africa to try and make ends meet. They have not started sending me groceries, but I hope they will start doing so once they have settled," said 59-year-old Lulamile Ncube, also from Masendu.

Ncube said some businesspeople and government officials were now cashing in on the villagers' plight.

"They barter their maize for livestock such as cattle and goats. One gets only three 50kg bags of maize in exchange for an animal. I have already lost three cows. We know they are cheating us, but there is nothing we can do. That's the only way we can get grain," said Ncube.

He was reluctant to name the officials who are swindling the villagers.

The plight of the villagers has become so desperate that some of them are now surviving on boiled raw paw-paw fruits.

"We peel them raw and then boil like potatoes. It tastes well; we are now used to it. The problem is that the paw-paws will soon run out," said another villager.

NANGO has called on the government to loosen the requirements for the benefit of suffering Zimbabweans.

"Given the critical role that NGOs must play in this current environment characterised by economic collapse, social distress and humanitarian crisis; NANGO urgently calls upon the Ministry of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare and other state parties to create a conducive environment for Civil Society to assist the millions of suffering Zimbabweans," the organisation said in a statement.

(END/2008)