The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) has rejected plans by both the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labour and Social Services to amend laws governing NGO operations. This after both ministries drafted a joint memorandum to amend the Private Voluntary Organizations (PVO) and Deeds Registries Act.

NANGO, the umbrella body for the NGO groups, says the amendments are simply an attempt by government to control organisations dealing with human rights and governance issues. These are currently registered as Trusts, but the amendments being sought by government will force them to register under the draconian PVO Act. This act has been used since 1967 to control organisations wanting to register as private voluntary organisations and also exert full and complete control over those already registered.

Speaking to Newsreel on Friday, NANGO Programmes Director Fambai Ngirande told us the latest moves were equivalent to getting the much condemned NGO Bill in 'through the back door,' The Mugabe regime's 2004 bill not only maintained the most repressive features of the PVO Act but it went further to put in place certain restrictions on fundraising and administration. Registration certificates for example could be cancelled over issues relating to finances and accounting.

Groups under NANGO convened a consultative meeting to consider the broader aspects of the proposed changes. The consensus was that government was seeking to curtail the operating environment for civil society groups especially in the run up to the current constitutional reform and national healing process.