The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) has criticised President Emmerson Mnangagwa for labelling some local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) “rogue” and “surrogate entities“. Mnangagwa made the remarks during a speech commemorating Zimbabwe’s 43 years of independence. Mnangagwa said:
No voices, foreign or local, inclusive of rogue NGOs, should sow seeds of division and disharmony among us.
The president’s remarks come as the ruling ZANU PF is trying to pass the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill, which local NGOs argue will enable the government to interfere in their affairs and restrict their activities.
In response, CiZC defended the role of NGOs and accused Mnangagwa of trying to shift blame for Zimbabwe’s problems onto them, rather than taking responsibility for the government’s own failures.
A spokesperson for the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC), Obert Masaraure, criticized the President for engaging in a blame game and not acknowledging that the real problem facing the country was the inequality caused by a small group of privileged people looting national resources. He said:
Massive looting of national wealth revealed in the Gold Mafia documentary and other previous publications is driving inequality.
Gold Mafia is a documentary by Al Jazeera that allegedly exposes gold smuggling and money laundering within and around Zimbabwe. Some prominent government officials were implicated in the multi-million-dollar gold smuggling and money laundering racket.
Masaraure stated that inequality is the main cause of instability because the majority of people who are excluded demand a share of the national wealth that has been taken by a small minority for personal gain. He called on the President, who is accused of being involved in this looting, to revise the government’s economic model to benefit the majority instead of the few. He added that peace and stability will only be possible if national resources are distributed fairly.
Masaraure stated that the President’s comments were linked to his government’s attempts to restrict civil society organizations. He argued that the proposed PVO bill is an effort to silence civil society, which plays an important role in holding those in power accountable.
Masaraure, who is also the president of ARTUZ, vowed that CiZC will continue to fight for good governance, in accordance with the national constitution, regardless of the government’s attempts to restrict their activities.