INFORMATION and Broadcasting Service Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha has said the Government has no plans of withdrawing the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) bill from Parliament.
Lieutenant General Shikapwasha maintained that the Government had no plans to withdraw the bill and that consultations were made before taking it to Parliament.
Speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Gen Shikapwasha said several NGOs made submissions to the bill before it went to Parliament and wondered why they were now objecting.
“As Government, we have no immediate plans to withdraw the bill because we feel that consultations and submissions were made before the bill was taken to Parliament, but why are they against it now,?” he asked.
Several non-governmental organisations have threatened to take legal action against Government if it does not withdrawal the NGO bill from Parliament.
They have said the bill sought to put in place a legal framework that would regulate the operations of NGOs saying it was unconstitutional.
They have threatened to withdraw their representatives from all Government bodies, should it be enacted into law.
At a Press briefing in Lusaka on Wednesday, representatives of the NGOs said the various organisations were capable of regulating themselves.
Civil Society for Poverty Reduction Executive Director, Patrick Mucheleka said the bill was against regional and international conventions on civil and political rights.
And Women For Change Executive Director, Emily Sikazwe said the NGOs had the capacity to regulate themselves.
[Times of Zambia]
You cant have so many NGOs in a poor country like Zed… There ar 2 many NGO’s being formed. Someone just need to dream and in the morning he or she forms one. There is need to have sanity and we are going to force these criminals to comply. They need to be professionally run, reveal source of money and how the $$$ are expended. Have audited accounts and to file returns annually… whats wrond with this…… they are too many corrupt NGOs like the one recently formed by Haka-Sata with the catholic church backing ….change fimo fimo or die …..
This is threat to democracy and should be fought. I do not see why govt should get involved in the running of ngo’s except to fight democracy and freedom of association. And from what am told the legislation is quite draconian, it was initiated under LPM but I dont think he would have gone the distance. Howeveer with Rupiah, they might just. My hope is its just a way threatening NGO’s and will never be implemented
YES REGULATE THEM..U AR EVEN LATE..! THE NATION NEEDS TO KNOW THEIR OPERATIONS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST..Y SCARED OF LAW ANYWAY…!