The Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill (PVO Bill) [H.B. 2A, 2024] has been sent back to the Senate to correct omissions identified in the legislative process.
Deputy President of the Senate, Michael Nyambuya, announced that some amendments made by the National Assembly were not incorporated into the consolidated version of the Bill presented to the Senate.
“I also want to inform the Senate that, in terms of Standing Order Number 147, an omission was noted in the Private Voluntary Organisations Bill [H.B. 2A, 2024], where some amendments made in the National Assembly were not included in the consolidated text brought before the Senate. Accordingly, the Bill will be recommitted to the Committee of the Whole House tomorrow,” said Nyambuya.
The recommitment returns the Bill to the Committee Stage, a crucial phase in Parliament where proposed changes to legislation are discussed and finalized.
While the Zanu PF government is pushing ahead with the Bill, it has faced widespread condemnation from the international community and local civic society organizations. Critics argue that the Bill could stifle civil society operations and restrict freedoms.
Despite several advocacy efforts against the legislation, the government has remained resolute. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has publicly urged Parliament to expedite the Bill and has indicated his readiness to sign it into law once it reaches his desk.
Previously, the Bill passed through the Senate without any objections from senators. Whether the recommittal will spark debate remains to be seen.
