Parliament Legal Committee issues a Non-adverse Report on PVO Bill

The Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC) has issued a Non-adverse Report on the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill (PVO Bill).

The Bill is seeking to give the government through the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare more power to control the activities and operations of PVOs in the country.

According to local and international legal watchdogs, the Bill is unconstitutional and violates the various treaties that Zimbabwe has signed to, regionally and internationally.

Veritas Zimbabwe is on recording highlighting that the current PVO Act that is being amended is unconstitutional and the Bill will only make it worse.

The PVO Bill sailed through the Committee Stage in the National Assembly without any objections as most opposition legislators were providing solidarity to Honourable Job Sikhala and Godfrey Sithole at the Harare Magistrates Court.

Those that attended virtually such as Honourable Edwin Mushoriwa allege that they were denied the platform to speak and have since complained to the Speaker.

Mutare Central legislator Innocent Gonese also complained about the procedure, arguing that legislators should have been put on notice before the committee stage so that they could have time to deliberate on the amendments introduced by the minister.

Reading the announcements, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Tsitsi Gezi said she received a Non-adverse Report on the Bill and several Statutory Instruments.

‘’I have to inform the House that I have received Non-adverse Reports from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the following Bills and Statutory Instruments:-

National Security Council Bill [H. B. 2, 2021], Private Voluntary Organisation Bill [H. B. 10A, 2022] and Statutory Instruments Numbers 118, 118A, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132 and 133 which were published in the Gazette during the month of July 2022,’’ she said.

This means the PVO Bill is now going into Third Reading Stage where no changes will likely take place according to Parliament procedures.-

Parliament Legal Committee issues a Non-adverse Report on PVO Bill