“Inequality can be done away with only by establishing a new society, where men and women will enjoy equal rights, resulting from an upheaval in the means of production and in all social relations. Thus, the status of women will improve only with the elimination of the system that exploits them….”

Thomas Sankara

Senate Passes PVO Bill

The senate has passed the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Amendment Bill which has been roundly condemned by opposition parties and civic groups. The PVO Bill is viewed as a mechanism to stifle the operations of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The Bill now awaits for Presidential assent

If the President signs the Bill, the new law will criminalise any action by civil society organisations to support, oppose or fund political parties or candidates in elections and will lay down civil penalties for receiving or moving money outside the formal banking system.

Source: Herald

Link: https://www.herald.co.zw/senate-passes-pvo-amendment-bill/

ZEC Acts on Stakeholders Concerns

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), on the 4th of February, handed over a revised delimitation report to the President of Zimbabwe, taking into account concerns raised by stakeholders that are in line with the Constitution.

In an official statement, ZEC chairperson Justice Chigumba stated that " what we did, is we resubmitted to the President the concerns and our responses to those concerns."

Justice Chigumba also reassured Zimbabweans that ZEC would be united as a family, having everything under control in a month or so.

Source : Newsday

Link : https://www.herald.co.zw/zec-acts-on-stakeholders-concerns/

Government should reregister hundreds of civil society groups whose registration it has withdrawn - Human Rights Watch

The Human Rights Watch has called for re-registration of 291 non-governmental and civil society organisations whose registration was revoked by government authorities.

On January 22, 2023, Government of Zimbabwe announced they had revoked the registration of 291 non-governmental and civil society organisations for “noncompliance with the provisions of Private Voluntary Organization Act.”

In a statement, Human Rights Watch deputy Africa Director Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz stated that “Zimbabwe’s repression of civil society organisations needs to stop, especially in light of the general election this year. The government needs to stop using the Private Voluntary Organization Act as a tool to silence the exercise of fundamental democratic rights.”

Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz also stated that the Private Voluntary Organization Act is incompatible with international human rights law standards on freedom of association to which Zimbabwe is a party, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Source: Human Rights Watch

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/01/27/zimbabwe-move-curb-freedom-association-election-nears

CCC Rules Out Primary Elections

The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has revealed that it will not hold primary elections to select candidates for this year's harmonised elections.

CCC deputy spokesperson Felix Magalela Sibanda stated that the opposition party will converge at different levels to allow its members to decide who will represent them in the forthcoming elections.

Source: Newsday

https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200007126/ccc-rules-out-primary-elections

Lack of Media Reforms to Impact Zimbabwe 2023 Elections

Failure to implement media-related reforms and recommendations from the European Union and African Union Observer Mission will likely hinder the free and fair coverage of the upcoming 2023 harmonised elections.

As part of its assessment of Zimbabwe's media space ahead of the 2023 elections, a report by the Democratic Governance and Rights Unit (DGRU) revealed that failure to implement media-related reforms will hinder the free and fair coverage of the coming elections.

DGRU, in its report, also stated that " While ZEC can still 'accredit' or somewhat vet the media to cover such processes, the exercise should not be accompanied by an additional fee for all media accredited with the Zimbabwe Media Commission considering the nature, value and purpose of the media in covering such democratic processes,"

Source: All Africa

https://allafrica.com/stories/202301310106.html

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

📷 WLSA Zimbabwe : Focus group discussions with aspiring female candidates (Harare, Zimbabwe 2023)