ZIMBABWE’S NEW PVO LAW IS A DANGER TO FREEDOM

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has gone to the High Court. They are fighting against the new changes in the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Act. They say this law is bad. It takes away people’s rights. It makes it hard for NGOs and charity groups to do their work in Zimbabwe.

ZLHR wants the court to stop this law. They say the law is not fair and is against the Constitution of Zimbabwe. They say it punishes people who are helping others. The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and the Attorney-General are the ones defending this law. ZLHR is asking the court to remove parts of the law that are harmful.

The law talks about how NGOs must register and how they should run. But ZLHR says the new rules go too far. The rules make it look like doing human rights work is a crime. That is wrong. The new law says the Minister has too much power. He can stop NGOs. He can even remove leaders of organisations and replace them with people he chooses.

ZLHR says some parts of the law are hard to understand. They are not clear. They confuse people. This makes it easy for the government to abuse the law. If the Minister doesn’t like a group, he can use the law to shut them down. That is not fair.

The law also goes against the right to speak freely, to meet, and to form groups. These are rights written in the Constitution. But this law breaks those rights. It also goes against the right to own property and to be treated fairly by the courts. These are serious issues.

Because of this law, many charities and donors might stop giving money to Zimbabwe. This money helps the poor, the sick, and those in need. If the money stops coming, life will be harder for many people in Zimbabwe. It is the poor who will suffer the most.

ZLHR says this law brings too much political control. The Minister can now control who runs NGOs. He can decide which NGO is allowed to work and which one is not. Even if an NGO changes something small, it must apply again to be registered. This makes life difficult for those who want to help.

In court, ZLHR asked many questions. They asked if the law is too vague. They asked if the law gives too much power to the Registrar. They asked if it’s fair that people can’t appeal the Registrar’s decisions. They asked if it is fair to make NGOs register again for small changes. They asked if it is right for the Minister to remove NGO leaders and choose new ones without a fair process.

ZLHR wants the court to throw out some parts of this law. They say section 4, section 5 (with section 9.5), section 6, section 13A, section 14 and section 21 must be removed. These parts are against the Constitution. They say the law should be fair. It should help people who are trying to help others.

This case is very important. It will show if Zimbabwe is serious about freedom and human rights. If the court agrees with ZLHR, then NGOs can continue to work freely. But if the court agrees with the Minister, then Zimbabwe may become more closed. People will be afraid to speak. Organisations will be afraid to help.

This law is not about safety. It is about control. Zimbabwe must stop making laws that punish those who are doing good. The people need more help, not more fear. This fight is not just for NGOs. It is for every Zimbabwean who believes in freedom and fairness.