With Civil Society, No one and no place is left behind in our quest for sustainable development
Harare – Zimbabwe: The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) day under the theme, “the role and influence of NGOs in advancing human rights, addressing social and environmental challenges, and achieving sustainable development goals”.
We mark this day to acknowledge the role that the NGOs are playing in contributing to the achievement of national and global human development goals such as the Agenda 2030, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and treatment for HIV/AIDS among other things. As we are celebrating this day marked by the outstanding work done by the NGO sector in protecting and respecting fundamental human rights which embody key values in our society such as fairness, dignity, equality, and respect. Human rights are an important means of protection for us all, especially those who may face abuse, neglect, and isolation.
NANGO takes this opportunity to reflect on the significant role played by diverse Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Zimbabwe. The country’s political, social, and economic turbulence of the past two decades has challenged CSOs to be more relevant by devising approaches to address the nation’s problems while at the same time promoting people-centred development. The concept of people-centred development became popular within CSOs in Zimbabwe with the view that people must take responsibility for their development as opposed to accepting top‐down solutions from governments, donors, or even CSOs.
Today we celebrate CSOs for fostering people‐centred development by promoting ownership, inclusivity, and participation. Many of the NANGO members are engaged in policy dialogue and research, and share valuable information on sustainable and economic development. Others continue to provide development assistance or services to communities where the government
has a less comparative advantage or no resources to provide. Those involved in advocacy for economic and social justice have championed good and accountable governance and challenged institutions and individuals where their rights have been violated. Social movements continue to mobilise citizens to claim their rights and pressure for accountability and social justice. CSOs are moving with a clarion call to embrace a rights‐based approach, which seeks to alter the public’s attitude toward authorities to demand service delivery and accountability.
The work of development organisations in Zimbabwe has been essential given the country’s rising poverty levels during the economic doldrums and instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The recurrent natural disasters have also increased the suffering of the majority of citizens in general. The role of CSOs in building community resilience and securing livelihoods has been a welcome contribution given the challenges that the country is currently facing. Food security, access to potable water, income generation, sanitation and hygiene, and HIV awareness and treatment are among the major components of the projects that CSOs are currently implementing.
However, it is important to note that the NGO sector continues to impact our communities positively while experiencing shrinking civic space with Zimbabwe now marked as “repressed” on the CIVICUS Monitor. While our communities depend on the support of the NGOs, which in turn depend on foreign donors to support their work in those communities, we witnessed with concern the government’s 2021 proposed Private Voluntary Amendment (PVO) Bill which has great potential to further shrink civic space due to repressive clauses being proposed. The proposed Bill will see CSOs currently registered as Trusts losing their legal personality and will become unlawful entities until and only if they are registered PVOs. This presents a serious existential threat to these CSOs, especially considering that there is no transition mechanism in place.
Zimbabwe is already regarded as an insecure destination for donor funding. The proposed law will bring forth a new wave of donor flight and this will further weaken the national development agenda. There is, already, a significant decline in development partner support even if the Bill is yet to be passed. Globally, CSOs are recognised as sources of innovations and leadership development. Without vibrant CSOs, the development agenda enunciated in Agenda 2030, Vision 2030, and National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) will be difficult to achieve. The increased demand for administrative and operational requirements at the local government level, mainly Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and clearance letters presents grim operational restrictions for CSOs. Concerns noted include the exorbitant fees being charged for an organisation to be cleared and for the MoU to be processed by district councils, the cumbersome process to acquire such clearances and approvals, the non-standardisation of the procedure to acquire such clearances; and the rejection of some MoUs without clear reasons or justifications. There is, therefore, a need for an enabling CSOs operating environment.
Despite these challenges, we are proud of the results the NGO sector has achieved so far towards the betterment of the lives of the general populace. As your coordinating body, we appreciate the firmness and resilience you demonstrated in very difficult circumstances. You remain unwavering in the quest to address the various needs of the people of Zimbabwe. The NGO sector has over the years increased in numbers and roles, complementing and enhancing quality outreach for social service delivery to Zimbabwean communities in support of government initiatives and efforts, as its capacity shrank progressively over the years, compromising sustainable transformation of the country’s poor communities.
Given these experiences and challenges, the sector is in urgent need to re-organise and revitalise itself so that it plays a critical role through a well-coordinated voice in shaping policy orientation towards national development as well as issues directly impacting its operating environment. NANGO is alive to the need for a vibrant civil society that is essential to guaranteeing sustainable development as enunciated in the NDS1 and Vision 2030. The ‘Whole of Society’ approach adopted by the government recognises the role of CSOs in development. It is also imperative that the sector embrace diversity, build inclusivity, consolidate cohesion and harmony in the sector, and unite NGO voices, policies, and programmes. We reiterate the need for the sector to comply with the existing laws of the country and demonstrate accountability to demand accountability. We would like to call on the government to meaningfully engage in dialogues and consult with civil society in the quest to regulate the operations of the CSOs in the country. NANGO is ready to facilitate regular and systematic engagement meetings with the government at multiple levels to share CSOs collective results and more importantly, CSOs operating environment.
