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Legal Monitor - Issue 160
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
September 10, 2012

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NGOs expo empowers public

In a country where paranoid State agents stalk Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the just ended three-day NGO Expo provided a rare opportunity for unchecked interface.

Ahead of the NGO Expo which ended last Friday, the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations said the exhibition offered the general public a chance for civic education on "a wide array of issues ranging from HIV/AIDS to the constitution reform process."

Since the late 1990s, the State has accused NGOs of siding with the opposition despite their tremendous efforts to alleviate Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis. In the absence of meaningful government support, Zimbabweans have come to rely on NGOs for humanitarian support and civic education.

The State, on the other hand, has seized every opportunity to ensure that civil society's interaction with the public is minimum or monitored.

Below are quotes from some of the NGOs that were exhibiting at the NGO Expo.

"Basically we are here as Community Radio Harare to showcase what we provide for the community which we intend to broadcast to. We are saying to the community we are there for you. We are ready to broadcast and we are only waiting for a license. Whilst we are waiting for a license, we have various programmes that we are carrying out as a radio station such as radio documentaries on various issues," Jenrod Kapisi, assistant programming officer.

"The event is about NGOs showcasing their different activities as you know NGOs have different mandates but human rights are universal.

So to claim their rights, people have to be aware of the rights first because they cannot claim what they don't know so this is part of it. The first thing is to promote human rights and our activities to members of the public," Prosper Maguchu, Projects Lawyer Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. "Basically the NGO Expo was for us to showcase the work that we are doing as civil society. We have been getting a lot of public attention and we have many people who have visited our stand to learn about the areas. We are also generating a lot of debate and raising awareness especially in the promotion of transparency and accountability of natural resources management and development.

These are purely developmental concerns of the general public of Zimbabwe.

The Expo gives us exposure without really any interference from State security agents. Even today we have not faced any barriers. Even meeting some of the state security agents who are asking questions," Veronica Zano, legal officer for Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association.

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