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THERE should be no reason whatsoever why any law-abiding citizen or organisation should feel threatened by the provisions of the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill. For the doubting Thomases, this assurance was given by the Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, in the National Assembly recently. However, those who want to use such organisations as vehicles to clandestinely promote criminal activities have every reason to quack in their boots. Charitable organisations meant to help the girl child, the needy, the aged, the hungry or any such noble cause are welcome with both hands. What is unacceptable is the use of an apparently charitable organisation as camouflage to hide evil intentions, such as regime change. For instance, because of food shortages caused by El Nino a private voluntary organisation with the objective of providing food to the needy is most welcome. But the bone of contention arises when such an organisation takes this as an opportunity to penetrate remote areas to spread heresy or lies about governance issues.

What is equally unacceptable is for this organisation to raise funds in support of a political party or cause. We will be much happier without such politically partisan organisations in our midst. That is why the amended Bill seeks to criminalise organisations that are tempted to fund political parties or candidates. For this will be a complete deviation from their stated objectives. In fact, these organisations have no right whatsoever to stray on to the political turf of their host country. In Zimbabwe where some political parties are creatures of Western regime change advocates, there is, indeed, every reason for them to oppose the proposed amendments. But this misdirection of funds is not limited to assisting political activities only.

In support of this Bill, Minister Ziyambi pointed out that the Financial Action Taskforce, an international body for policing money laundering, was worried by some apparently charitable organisations which were used as conduits to transfer money to terrorist organisations. Some of this criminal money, if undetected, could be used to buy property in the host country. As a member of this body, Zimbabwe is bound to comply with its recommendations, in its effort to combat money laundering.

If a private voluntary organisation uses its money to fund people who want to spark industrial action or foment violence, how do you separate that from terrorism? We have witnessed this on a number of occasions in our largely peaceful country. Zimbabwe, like any other democratic country, has a raft of laws which must be obeyed by all, voluntary private organisations included. Disobedience of such laws, irrespective of the status of the perpetrator, is an automatic criminal offence. The Political Parties (Finance) Act forbids political parties from soliciting or receiving funding from foreign sources. Thus the amended Bill is going to act as a deterrence to such shenanigans.

What some of the Western funders for these organisations consider to be fundamental human rights violations are actually at variance with what we practise in this part of the world. For example, to us homosexuality is anathema. In fact, it is a serious criminal offence. And yet some of these defiant, supposedly charitable organisations subtly promote homosexuality and in some cases even incest as inalienable human rights. Armed with the legal tools contained in these proposed amendments, such mischief seekers will be kept in check. That is why those opposed to these amendments claim they are being ‘victimised’ by being denied freedom of association. But they must remember that such freedom does not operate in a vacuum and acts which infringe on other people’s freedoms should not be allowed by law.

Those responsible for accepting these voluntary organisations must make sure the vetting is thorough in order to avoid the registration of potential trouble causers.