The Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Institute Trust (ZI), Isaac Maphosa, has called on the Ministry of Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs to reconsider the registration timeline for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) under the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Bill.
Speaking during the launch of the Diverse Pathways for Progress (DP4P) program, which aims to promote inclusive and participatory governance in Zimbabwe, Maphosa stressed the importance of creating legislation that enables CSOs to operate efficiently within a conducive environment.
The PVO Bill is now before the Senate, and Maphosa expressed concern over the limited timeframe given for CSOs to register under the new legislation.
“As we sit here, the PVO Bill is in Parliament. This legislation governs our work as a civil society and how we are regulated. I have said this to the Minister and the President when we met on March 17th last year: as civil society, we are not against regulation. We welcome it. However, we want to ensure that the legislation provides a conducive environment that allows us to share and fully participate in the partnerships we seek as CSOs,” Maphosa stated.
He highlighted the issue of the registration period, explaining that the current proposal falls short of what is needed.
“The main issue I want to raise is the transitional period required for registration. Initially, we requested twelve months, the Portfolio Committee reduced it to nine months, and now the bill proposes just three months. We feel this period is too short and could hinder our registration processes.”
Maphosa also expressed concern over the provisional registration clause in the bill, which could restrict CSOs from fundraising and implementing their programs effectively.
“With the three-month period, there’s also a give-and-take situation, but the ‘taking’ may hamper us further. Under provisional registration, we can operate, but we are not allowed to fundraise. Without resources, such as what we are launching today, it becomes nearly impossible to implement our programs. I urge you, Deputy Minister, to help us engage in dialogue about this and other problematic provisions that may affect the smooth operations of civil society and our partnership with the government,” Maphosa urged.
In response, Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs, Nobert Mazunguye, acknowledged the concerns and promised to relay them to the Minister.
“I’ve heard your concerns, and I will discuss them with the Minister. We will look into the period you’ve mentioned and see if it can be adjusted to meet your needs. Our goal is to build the country together. I will pass this message to the Minister, and if amendments are appropriate, we will consider them,” said Mazunguye.
