News / National
Mnangagwa bans NGOs operations from politics
01 Sep 2021 at 13:00hrs | Views
THE government banned Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) from undertaking any political work through amendments to the Private Voluntary Organisations Act.
The amendments according to the government also seek to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism by any individual or institution in Zimbabwe.
"The Registrar of PVOs is also being accorded powers to penalise non-compliant organisations," Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists during the post-Cabinet media briefing Tuesday.
"The amendments also seek to streamline the administrative procedures for Private Voluntary Organisations in order to ensure their efficient registration, regulation and the combating of the financing of terrorism."
"The PVO Amendment Bill was necessitated by growing regional and global concerns about money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities."
"It is now known that terrorist activities can be committed using seemingly authentic transactions, either as humanitarian aid or as development assistance."
"Since the current PVO Act was silent in this regard, the Bill seeks to close the loophole and ensure that all PVO activities are transparent and are conducted in the national interest."
Mutsvangwa added, "As a member of the International Financial Action Task Force, Zimbabwe is obligated to ensure compliance by all PVOs operating in the country, without exception.
"Whereas registration has all along been free, the Registrar is now empowered to collect registration fees from all PVOs. The Bill prohibits PVOs from political involvement, and requires them to discharge their mandate for the benefit of society's most vulnerable."
"PVOs are, therefore, prohibited from undertaking political lobbying on behalf of any individual, organisation, or political party, and the Bill stipulates penalties for those PVOs that violate the Act.
"The registrar can also impose civil penalty orders on PVOs which break the law, with high-risk PVOs being placed under monitoring. The executive committee of a PVO can be suspended for either maladministration or failure to discharge the declared mandate.
The amendments were presented to Cabinet by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.
The amendments according to the government also seek to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism by any individual or institution in Zimbabwe.
"The Registrar of PVOs is also being accorded powers to penalise non-compliant organisations," Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists during the post-Cabinet media briefing Tuesday.
"The amendments also seek to streamline the administrative procedures for Private Voluntary Organisations in order to ensure their efficient registration, regulation and the combating of the financing of terrorism."
"The PVO Amendment Bill was necessitated by growing regional and global concerns about money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities."
"It is now known that terrorist activities can be committed using seemingly authentic transactions, either as humanitarian aid or as development assistance."
"Since the current PVO Act was silent in this regard, the Bill seeks to close the loophole and ensure that all PVO activities are transparent and are conducted in the national interest."
Mutsvangwa added, "As a member of the International Financial Action Task Force, Zimbabwe is obligated to ensure compliance by all PVOs operating in the country, without exception.
"Whereas registration has all along been free, the Registrar is now empowered to collect registration fees from all PVOs. The Bill prohibits PVOs from political involvement, and requires them to discharge their mandate for the benefit of society's most vulnerable."
"PVOs are, therefore, prohibited from undertaking political lobbying on behalf of any individual, organisation, or political party, and the Bill stipulates penalties for those PVOs that violate the Act.
"The registrar can also impose civil penalty orders on PVOs which break the law, with high-risk PVOs being placed under monitoring. The executive committee of a PVO can be suspended for either maladministration or failure to discharge the declared mandate.
The amendments were presented to Cabinet by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.
Source - newzimbabwe
