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The NGO Bill process, as a matter of record
National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO)
December 16, 2004

1. Nango was invited by the government to input into the drafting of the new NGO law as way back as 2002. NANGO extensively consulted its over 1000 members, came up with a model law and discussed it thouroughly with the Ministry of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare and the respective Portifolio Committee. Inpsite of NANGO having been assured that government was going to take the concerns of NGOs on board NONE OF THE ISSUES RAISED WERE INCORPORATED IN THE NEW LAW
   
2. In 2003, NANGO, held several meetings with the Parliamentary Portifolio Committee on Public Service Labour and Social Welfare- Chiared by Hon Dokora [ZANU PF] to discuss submissions of NGOs [The Committee agreed that the proposals from NANGO were sound - BUT STILL NONE OF THE ISSUES RAISED WERE INCORPORATED IN THE NEW LAW
   
3. On the 7th of September 2004, at a Public Hearing on the NGO Bill, convened by Parliament of Zimbabwe all NGO, students, beneficiaries and individual delegates agreed that the proposed NGO law certainly leaves a lot to be desired and as such should not pass in its current state. Of the 455 delagates at the hearing, only one person from the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions said the Bill was good- for the reasons you all know. A second hearing was convened and all stakeholders unanimously agreed that the Bill was repressive, full of inconsistencies and therefore needed to be amended. The Parliamentary Commitee assured stakeholders that their views were going to be considered- UNFORTUNATELY NONE OF THE ISSUES RAISED WERE INCORPORATED IN THE NEW LAW.
   
4. On the 24- 27 September NANGO convened a workshop of MPs from all political parties [33 attended] on the NGO Bill. They all agreed that the Bill needed to be amended. The workshop report was consequently shared with all Parliamentarians BUT STILL NONE OF THE ISSUES RAISED WERE INCORPORATED IN THE NEW LAW
   
5. The Portfolio Committee on Public Service Labour and Social Welfare, following intense lobbying by NANGO and stakeholders, chaired by Hon Dokora- ZANU PF, came up with a progressive report that the Bill needed to be amended. BUT STILL NONE OF THE ISSUES RAISED WERE INCORPORATED IN THE NEW LAW except a minor concession on the 6 months transition period
   
6. NANGO also had several bi-laterial meetings with Ministers and Politiburo members- they too agreed that the Bill was far from being enabling -BUT STILL NONE OF THE ISSUES RAISED WERE INCORPORATED IN THE NEW LAW
   
7. The House went on to refer the Bill to the Parliamentary Legal Committee. The committee, whose members include ZANU PF Heavyweight, Kumbirai Kangai, came up with an adverse report. In very clear terms they described the Bill as unconstitutional and "does not seek to regulate but seeks to control, to silence, to render ineffective and ultimately to shut down NGOs..." [BUT STILL NONE OF THE ISSUES RAISED WERE INCORPORATED IN THE NEW LAW]
   
8. During the second and third reading,attended by NANGO representatives, a lot of MPs raised pertinent issues and concluded that the Bill certainly needed to be re-looked at.[BUT STILL NONE OF THE ISSUES RAISED WERE INCORPORATED IN THE NEW LAW]
   
9. On 9th December 2004, the Bill was passed, after deviding the house [knowing that there are more ZANU PF MPs, whether they like or not.. who will be 'whipped' to vote for the passing of the Bill. At the end of it all the Bill was passed and NONE OF THE ISSUES RAISED BY NGOs, PARLIAMENTARY COMMITEES, RESEARCHERS AND VARIOUS OTHER STAKEHOLDERS WERE INCORPORATED IN THE NEW LAW]

This was the NGO law making process in Zimbabwe where all views of stakeholders were sacrificed for political expendiency.

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