SIVIO Institute’s latest publication zeroes in on the anticipated effects of the PVO Amendment Bill on community philanthropy. Read on to understand why this piece of legislation is retrogressive.
The Government of Zimbabwe recently announced its intentions to change the existing Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Act so as to limit cases of money laundering and to prevent non-state actors from taking part in political activities. If passed, the Act will negatively affect public sphere activities especially the smaller organisations that are actively involved in community based charity work in marginalised communities.
Some of its aspects have been mooted to be unconstitutional and arbitrary making it impossible for many organisations to get formally registered and operate. These organisations have helped the government by providing social and economic goods to the affected areas. Their goals have complimented the government’s development goals. This policy brief recognises the need for revising the existing PVO Act which has many loopholes. Therefore, the aim of this policy brief is to suggest ways that the government can make meaningful changes to the existing PVO Act without affecting the important work that is being done in communities.
Access the full publication here (1MB PDF)
Source: SIVIO
