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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Government suspension of NGO field operations - Index of articles
Bill
Watch special: Clarification on suspension of NGO field operations
Veritas
June
18, 2008
In response
to queries about the suspension of NGO humanitarian field operations,
here is the full text of the letter from the Ministry of Public
Service, Labor and Social Welfare and its attached Clarification.
Ministry of
Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare
Compensation
House
P. Bag 7707,
Causeway
Cnr Fourth Street/Central
Avenue
Harare
Ref: SW/21/3
12 June 2008
All Private
Voluntary Organizations (PVOs)/ Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
Re: CLARIFICATION
ON THE SUSPENSION OF FIELD OPERATIONS OF PVOs/NGOs
Reference is
made to the meeting convened by OCHA on 12 June 2008, at UNICEF
Offices, in Harare at which you sought Government clarification
on the suspension of
field operations of PVOs/NGOs.
Attached please
find the response to issues raised.
I hope this
will go a long way in clearing any misinterpretations.
[signed]
S.G. Mhishi
(Mr)
Acting
Permanent Secretary for Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare
Clarification
of suspension of NGOS/PVOs field operations
Background
On
12 June 2008, Office of the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) organized a meeting of UN Agencies and NGOs/PVOs to seek
clarification from Government on the suspension of field operations
of all NGOs/PVOs.
Clarification
was sought on the following issues:
- Definition
of field operations
- Interpretation
of suspension
- Reasons for
suspension
- Duration
of suspension
Definition
of Field Operations
In
terms of the suspension letter, field operations imply movement
by NGOs/PVOs personnel into communities in order to mobilize, organize,
or bring together large numbers of people.
Interpretation
of Suspension
Suspension
of field operations does not imply banning or deregistration of
PVOs/NGOs.
Reason
for suspension
Government has received information that some PVOs/NGOs
involved in humanitarian operations are breaching the terms and
conditions of their registration as embraced in the PVO
Act by engaging in political activities.
In order to
allow for fair and transparent investigations, field operations
of all PVOs/NGOs had to be suspended.
Duration
of suspension
Government
is desirous to dispense with investigations as soon as possible
in order to allow PVOS/NGOS to resume their normal operations.
Other
issues raised by NGOs/PVOs
- Implications
of HIV/AIDS programmes
- Feeding of
children
- Operations
of Head Office, Regional and District offices of the NGOs/PVOs
- Position
of churches with regard to the suspension
Implications
of HIV and AIDS Programmes
The
suspension does not prohibit those on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART)
and those benefiting from Home Based Care (HBC) programmes to continue
accessing drugs and therapeutic feeding from clinics and hospitals.
Supplementary
Feeding Programme for Children
This
is a community based programme which does not entail community mobilization
by NGOs/PVOs hence it falls outside the above given definition of
suspension.
Operations
of Head Offices, Regional and District Offices
Since
suspension does not imply banning operations at Head Offices, Regional
and District Offices are not affected, except field operations.
Position
of Churches
The
Zimbabwe Constitution guarantees freedom of worship and no church
is registered in terms of the PVO Act. Therefore, in terms of this
suspension, churches are not affected.
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