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We can be political - say non-governmental organizations
Rutendo Mawere, The Standard (Zimbabwe)
May 31, 2008

View article on the Zimbabwe Standard website

Although non-governmental organizations are supposed to be apolitical, some of their members believe the country's current crisis, worsened by political violence, compels them to explicitly speak out against the violence and adopt drastic measures to help check the crisis. Morrison Sifelani, chairman of Gweru Agenda said it was naïve to suggest that non-governmental organizations (NGOS) were apolitical, as the work some of them did, such as the fight for democracy and uphold human rights, was political. He was speaking at a Midlands province non-governmental organization directors' forum in Gweru on Thursday. Sifelani said NGOs are only apolitical in the sense that they should not engage in party politics. But the current crisis compelled them to be unequivocal in their stance.

The programmes director of the National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, Bob Muchabaiwa agreed with Sifelani, describing the situation in the country as "abnormal". He said "it cannot be business as usual". Muchabaiwa said civil society strongly condemned the ongoing violence, and demanded that civil society organizations be given access to victims of political violence so they could assist them. He said even if "some places had become no-go areas", NANGO called upon its members to deploy their staff in such areas to help victims of violence.

"Civil society organisations should be allowed access to victims of organized violence and torture. We are essentially saying there are people in need of medication, in need of legal assistance, people in need of food, clothing and what not," Muchabaiwa said. "And we are saying to the authorities, the powers-that-be, should allow civil society organisations to be able to render such services to them. Our members should deploy more of their members in the constituencies to support these people."

The government has in the past accused NGOs of working with the opposition, and in the wake of the current political violence, NGOs providing humanitarian assistance in rural areas have been forced to suspend their operations because their staff have been victimised. In the Midlands province, ARDA and Care Zimbabwe have reportedly stopped food handouts in Mberengwa after ZANU PF officials accused the organisations of campaigning for the MDC-T while handing out foodstuffs. The organisations were directed to stop their programme, although most families in Mberengwa face starvation.

Muchabaiwa said alongside the other efforts that civil society organisations were undertaking to help resolve the current crisis, they had also decided to employ non-violent social action designed to put pressure on the "former government". "As you may be aware, civil society organisations in Zimbabwe launched the 'Make-your-vote-count' campaign, where they are essentially saying it is about time civil society must begin to pressurise politicians to respect the people's choice, to respect the people's vote, by engaging in mass-based non-violent social actions," Muchabaiwa said. "And these could range from simple things like praying for Zimbabwe; people coming together and saying we need Divine intervention. This is a peaceful non-violent social action; but at least we cannot allow this situation to continue."

Muchabaiwa said despite SADC's apparent failure to decisively deal with the situation in Zimbabwe, the regional grouping, the African Union, as well as international bodies remained important targets in the NGOs' efforts to bring about democracy in the country. The NANGO Midlands chairperson, Peter Muchengeti said it was a shame the ZANU PF through its abuse of the public media was always quick to accuse most NGO's of supporting the opposition but turned a deaf ear to some NGO's that boasted of supporting ZANU PF. Muchengeti gave examples of the Joseph Chinotimba-led Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions, Lawyers for Justice, and the Zimbabwe Farmers' Union which publicly announced their allegiance to ZANU PF. "The public media has actually given these organisations media access and never condemned them. There is nothing wrong with NGOs supporting a political party. In South Africa, COSATU support the ANC," Muchengeti said.

The meeting was part of a series that NANGO is holding countrywide as part of efforts to deal urgently with the humanitarian crisis arising from the ongoing violence.

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