Green Governance March 2022 Newsletter

The latest Green Governance newsletter reflects on COP27 and how the PVO Amendment Bill is a threat to democracy. Read on to get informed.

Reflections on the #theAfricanCOP (COP 27): Balancing Mitigation, Adaption and Financing

Zimbabwe is a net greenhouse emitter – producing far less emissions than its forests can easily absorb. This, however, did not help save its crop from being fried this season as the country now stares, squarely, at yet another climate change-induced draught. The small southern African country needs climate adaptation. And that, very fast. Like any other developing country, it is having to bear the brunt of the adverse effects of climate change. Its underdeveloped economy spells doom for its populace who will have to look up to donors as the country can ill-afford the financing of the humanitarian crisis it is now facing. Clearly, its agriculture-based economy is not climate resilient. This is something that it is hoping can be improved with greater cooperation with other developing countries across the globe and with fellow African countries in particular.

The Private Voluntary Organisations Bill a Threat to Democracy

At its simplest, civil society is the arena in which people come together to pursue the interests they hold in common – not for profit or political power, but because they care enough about something to take collection, (V. Masunungure, 2014) On the 5th of November 2021 the Private Voluntary Organisations
(PVO) Amendment Bill was published in the Gazette. The PVO Amendment Bill is intended to monitor and regulate the operations of non-governmental organisa- tions in Zimbabwe. Various critiques of the bill have defined it as unconstitu- tional and a piece of legislation that aims at essentially abolishing Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and their operations in Zimbabwe. The historical perception by the government of Zimbabwe which views NGO’s, particularly those in the human rights and democracy cluster, as anti-estab- lishment and pro-opposition could have propelled the idea behind the PVO Amendment Bill. Whilst the state has the autonomy to sustain its sovereignty, it should be guided by the principles of democracy which it is subservient to; where civil society is also a part of the body politic and is mandated to play its watchdog role in monitoring public sector performance.

Access the full publication here (716KB PDF)

Source: Green Governance Zimbabwe