Civic Society Organisations (CSOs) are consulting on a plan of action following recent remarks by Harare Provincial Development Coordinator Tafadzwa Muguti directed Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and churches, among other organisations, to seek operational clearance through his office.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) said they were consulting with stakeholders to map the way forward.
“Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition is consulting its membership on a plan of action following threats by the government to further shrink the democratic space by setting up reporting structures for non-governmental organisations. In 2019, the same directive was issued to non-governmental organisations in Masvingo. The directive was however reversed following High Court order.” said CiZC
According to Crisis in the Coalition, the demands from the office of the Provincial Development Coordinator for Harare, Muguti are meant to criminalise operations of non-governmental organisations critical to the authoritarian nature of the Zimbabwean government.
Some civil society leaders in Masvingo declared that the same demands from the office of the PDC in the province must be resisted using all available channels.
Civic contacts in Manicaland argued that the clamping down on non-governmental organisations is meant to entrench dictatorship and we called upon pro-democracy forces to resist this.
In Bulawayo, a humanitarian lawyer said it is quite evident that the government is seeking to restrict and or cripple operations of non-governmental organisations ahead of the 2023 elections adding that the machinations should never be allowed to prevail.
United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean academic Alex Magaisa has criticized Muguti for purportedly exercising powers that he doesn’t possess.
“This chap, one Tafadzwa Muguti* has a disproportionately elevated opinion of himself. If he’s not demolishing homes, he’s trying to control civil society organisations.
“Conspicuously missing in this extravagant demand is the law under which he’s exercising his phantom power. He just refers to an MoU. An MoU is not a law. It is trite that the conduct of governmental and administrative affairs must be based on the law.” said Magaisa
