Amnesty International (AI) has urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe to reject a proposed new law that threatens rights and civil space.
Development Diaries reports that the Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO) Amendment Bill, passed by the Zimbabwean Senate, now awaits President Mnangagwa’s assent.
AI’s Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, said the proposed bill will have dire consequences if it becomes law.
Chagutah said, ‘The PVO Amendment Bill in its current form threatens civic society organisations working on human rights in Zimbabwe.
‘The proposed bill, if it becomes law, will have dire consequences, including restricting civic space and access to humanitarian support services in Zimbabwe as it will immediately render all non-governmental organisations (NGOs), not registered as PVOs, illegal’.
He said if the bill is passed by the president, it could be used to deny registration of human rights organisations due to the work that they do, including defending rights such as freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
Chagutah further explained that the bill would also exacerbate the growing crackdown on civil society organisations (CSOs), increase human rights violations and make it more difficult for the people to hold the government to account.
‘There is a risk that employees and board members of NGOs could be arrested and subjected to punitive measures, including imprisonment, simply for doing their work’, he said.
He urged the president to use his leadership position to reject this bill as it is repressive, adding that the president must ensure that this bill is never signed into law.
‘Any future law must fully reflect international human rights standards and reaffirm the country’s human rights obligations towards the promotion and protection of the human rights of everyone including those who work to defend the rights of other people’, he added.
Freedom House ranked the southern African country as ‘not free’ in its 2022 Freedom in the World study of political rights and civil liberties, with the country earning 28 points out of a possible 100.
Photo source: UN TV
