Aid groups face new Zimbabwe stumbling block 01/09/2008 - 21:48:47
Not all Zimbabwean aid agencies can get back to work despite a government announcement that a ban had been lifted, it was claimed today.
Fambai Ngirande, spokesman for the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations, said the state wanted to increase control over independent aid groups before allowing them to resume their work.
The government called aid groups to a meeting today after announcing on Friday that it was lifting a ban imposed almost three months ago while accusing independent aid groups of supporting opposition activists.
“The state will only recognise the more welfare-oriented NGOs which are registered as private voluntary organisations. Other NGOs will remain under suspension,” Mr Ngirande said.
He said groups allowed to resume work had been asked to resubmit registration information, including details about their staff and the amount of food they were importing to distribute, and would have to work closely with local authorities.
Government officials were not immediately available for comment.
Adam Berthoud, a programme manager for the international aid group Oxfam, said he also understood that some groups would not be able to resume work in Zimbabwe.
But he said Oxfam was registered and was making plans “to start our humanitarian scale-up.”
Aid groups have denied the government’s accusations of supporting opposition activists, accusations levelled when it imposed the ban shortly before a June presidential run-off. The ban had been widely condemned.
A month ago, the governing party agreed to lift the ban to help open the way to power-sharing talks with the opposition, but those talks have stalled over how much power President Robert Mugabe should surrender.
Negotiators met briefly last week in South Africa, but no progress was reported.
UN humanitarian agencies predict the number of Zimbabweans who will need help to stave off hunger will rise to more than five million by early next year.
Zimbabwe’s government routinely blames the country’s economic collapse on European and US sanctions that target people and companies linked to Mr Mugabe with travel bans and asset freezes.
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