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This article participates on the following special index pages:
NGO Bill - Index of Opinion and Analysis
Mugabe
refuses to sign NGOs Bill
Caiphas
Chimhete, The Standard (Zimbabwe)
April 10, 2005
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/read.php?st_id=2118
PRESIDENT Robert
Mugabe has refused to sign the controversial Non-Governmental Organisation
(NGO) Bill in its present state and has referred it back for further
consultations, The Standard can reveal.
Sources said Mugabe felt the NGO Bill, which was crafted largely
by vindictive former Minister of State for Information and Publicity
in the President's Office Jonathan Moyo and Justice Minister, Patrick
Chinamasa, was "too obnoxious" and would portray government in bad
light in the eyes of the international community.
If signed into
law, it will bar NGOs from receiving foreign funding for governance
programmes. Most NGOs depend on foreign funding for most of their
programmes.
The sources
said Mugabe had tasked the Minister of Labour, Public Service and
Social Welfare, Paul Mangwana, and Zanu PF spokesperson, Nathan
Shamuyarira, to hold further consultations with civic organisations.
The Bill will
be referred back to Parliament but the Zanu PF duo would be working
on a parallel process, said one source.
"We have met
Shamuyarira and Mangwana as civic organisations on a number of occasions
and we have made our submission," said the source.
Constitutionally,
a Bill lapses after 21 days of being presented to the President.
The NGO Bill was passed by Parliament on 9 December 2004 and Mugabe
has not signed it.
Shamuyarira
confirmed that he met some NGO representatives "some four weeks
ago", but he referred all questions to Mangwana.
"I can't say
anything on a bill that is in Mangwana's ministry, talk to Mangwana.
He will give you the story," Shamuyarira said. Magwana said: "What
I know is that the Bill is still under consideration by the President."
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