The United Nations has urged President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, to reject the controversial Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO) Amendment Bill.
Development Diaries reports that the bill, which has been passed by the Zimbabwean senate, has been condemned by a group of local and international civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country.
Rights organisations argue that the bill, if signed into law, would exacerbate the growing crackdown on CSOs, increase human rights violations and make it more difficult for the people to hold the government to account.
In a press statement issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN agency expressed concern that the powers of the registrar’s office will include the ability to consider, grant or reject the registration of PVOs, with little to no judicial recourse against such decisions.
‘The vagueness or non-definition of many provisions in the bill also raises concerns that the proposed law will be misapplied’, the statement read.
The UN agency warned that actions considered to be in breach of certain provisions in the bill could lead to criminal prosecution, with penalties ranging from heavy fines to imprisonment.
While expressing further concerns, the UN experts noted that the restrictions contained in the bill will have a chilling effect on CSOs, especially dissenting voices.
‘By enacting this legislation, authorities would effectively be closing an already shrinking civic space’, the statement read.
‘We stand ready to assist the government to revise the amendment bill to ensure compliance with international human rights norms and standards’.
In 2022, the Crisis Coalition condemned what it called ‘criminalisation’ of civil society by the government of Zimbabwe and called for an end to intimidation and shrinking of the civic space.
The coalition of 87 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) coordinating for social, political and economic consciousness in the country called on the Zimbabwean government to take measures to widen the civic space rather than ‘acting to shrink it’.
Freedom House ranked Zimbabwe as ‘not free’ in its Freedom in the World 2022 study of political rights and civil liberties, with the country earning 28 points out of a possible 100.
Source: United Nations
Photo source: CNS/EPA/Aaron Ufumeli
