Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ruling party passed a controversial new law that aims to bar foreign rights groups from the country, as well as foreign funding for local groups doing similar work. The law, known as the Non-governmental Organisations Bill, was passed by 48 lawmakers from Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe ZANU-PF party following weeks of intense debate. "This bill is the best law to be enacted by this parliament," Social Welfare Minister Paul Mangwana boasted shortly before it went through its third and final reading. The law, which forces all non-governmental agencies to register with a state-appointed commission, also makes it illegal for them to receive foreign funding.
The bill was condemned by opposition lawmakers, who said it would curtail the rights and freedoms of Zimbabweans, including the work of the country's churches. "It is unfortunate that this house has been called on again and again to pass legislation whose effect is to continually extinguish the rights of the people of this country," MDC lawmaker and secretary general Welshman Ncube said during the final debate on the bill. He said that, once it was signed by Mugabe, it would interfere with the "social mission" of churches if that included feeding the poor, tending to human rights abuses or addressing issues of governance. |