By FLAVIOR
CHISHALA-
NON-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) resisting to register under the current NGO Act are delaying the review process, Chief Government spokesperson Joseph Katema has said.
Some NGOs have defied Government directive to register under the 2009 NGO Act number 16.
Dr Katema said so far, 420 organisations countrywide had paid and collected registration forms out of which 149 had been issued with certificates of registration.
“It should be made very clear that the extension is not targeting those NGOs that are not interested in registering because the very law adequately provides for remedies for non-compliance,” he said in a statement released in Lusaka yesterday.
Dr Katema, who is Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, reaffirmed Government’s commitment to reviewing the NGO Act as stated in the Patriotic Front (PF) manifesto.
He said the process of registering by the NGOs constituted the first step towards the review of the Act in line with concerns raised by some interest groups.
“While the PF leadership made an undertaking to review this law, it ought to be appreciated that it is extremely difficult to review a law that has not been implemented.
“Those resisting this law, therefore, are actually delaying the review process, which Government is very much committed to,” he said.
He said it was worth noting that the roadmap for reviewing the Act was developed together with the council of NGOs, and that dialogue was ongoing on the matter.
Dr Katema said sentiments being made on the Act were mere speculations as no one had been injured by the said law so far.
“In this regard, I am happy to state that consultations with stakeholders on the review of the NGO Act are on course although what seems to be the major obstacle is that the implementation of the law is being resisted by those who are not committed to having it reviewed comprehensively and expeditiously,” he said.
He said the registration exercise was progressing smoothly, and that the period for registration had been extended to cater for those that were already in the middle of the process.
He appealed to the NGOs that had not yet registered to take advantage of the extension period.
But Transparency International Zambia executive director, Goodwell Lungu said in a separate statement that his organisation would not register, maintaining that the law was not conducive.
“We encourage the Government to halt and completely shelve the current NGO registration process and concentrate on a mutual consensus building process that would ensure confidence through the repealing and replacement of the 2009 NGO Act,” he said.