PRESS STATEMENT ON ZIMBABWE (III) SEPTEMBER 2004

ZIM NGOs DYING A SLOW DEATH

DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights wishes to again express its deep concern about the continued deterioration of human rights and the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. The current Zimbabwean Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) Bill July 2004 is a document which directly undermines the essence of a vibrant, accountable civil society.

The drought of democracy in Zimbabwe, continues to produce serious violations of internationally recognised human rights. The freedoms of assembly, association and expression, which are fundamental to the existence of a functioning democracy, are not being respected. The NGO Bill creates an NGO Council which is to comprise both civil society and government representatives. The fact that there are to be five (5) civil society representatives to nine (9) government representatives, gives rise to the question, whose Council is it to be? Is it that of the Government or civil society? What is its main purpose other than to regulate and control NGOs?

In accordance with the Bill, no local NGO shall receive any foreign funding or donation to carry out activities involving or including the promotion and protection of human rights and political governance. This provision will prevent NGOs monitoring and acting upon violations of human rights, whether by individuals or the State. The Bill allows the Government to take possession of the money, securities or property of any NGO found to have unlawfully received funding.

DITSHWANELO has held a number of activities in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe since 2000. The most recent was the African Civil Society Consultation on Zimbabwe in August 2003. The civil society participants from Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Namibia called upon the Government of Zimbabwe to repeal all repressive legislation such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), the Access to Information and Privacy Act and the Broadcasting Services Act. The NGO Bill, once passed by Parliament, will mark an addition to laws aimed at the gradual annihilation of a vibrant, enquiring, civil society aimed at the protection of the citizens of Zimbabwe.

DITSHWANELO once more calls upon the African Union (AU) to ensure that it adopts the report on Zimbabwe which was compiled in 2002 by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The AU member states cannot continue to merely observe the values of democracy, good governance and human rights being blatantly undermined by a member state of the AU. To do so, would be to suggest that they themselves pay lip-service to what are considered the fundamental principles of the AU.

DITSHWANELO urges Southern African governments to publicly condemn the human rights violations in Zimbabwe and work collectively to ensure that the principles of democracy, good governance, human rights and development are adopted and realised by all the governments in the Southern African region.

DITSHWANELO joins with other civil society organisations regionally and internationally, in recognising that the NGO Bill undermines international and regional standards. There is no place for it within the SADC region.

9 September 2004
Gaborone