Zimbabwe: Government order to suspend operations of private voluntary organisations and including CARE International

Your Excellency

I am deeply concerned following information received concerning a government order to suspend the field operations of all private voluntary organisations (PVOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), dated 4 June 2008, and the suspension of CARE International's field activities in Zimbabwe, ordered by the authorities on 30 May 2008. CARE International is an independent aid agency committed to poverty alleviation and the promotion of sustainable development in the developing world.

On 30 May 2008, CARE International was ordered by the authorities to suspend all field activities in Zimbabwe. This order was reportedly related to accusations of political activism, despite the fact that CARE is strictly opposed to political involvement and is committed to providing independent and impartial development assistance to those in need. The suspension was ordered pending an investigation into these allegations of political activism. CARE has complied with the order and has recalled all field staff.

On 4 June 2008, the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, the Hon. N T Goche (MP), signed a letter which stated that “a number of NGOs involved in humanitarian operations are breaching the terms and conditions of their registration as enshrined in the Private Voluntary Organisation Act” and called for all PVOs and NGOs to “suspend field operation until further notice”. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) have noted that this order is illegal on the grounds that there is no provision in the Act which empowers the Minister to suspend PVOs or NGOs. I am extremely concerned at this order which seeks to restrict human rights organisations' capacity to document human rights violations and deliver assistance to those groups that have been made particularly vulnerable due to escalating violence in Zimbabwe.

I believe that the order for the suspension of CARE International's field activities in Zimbabwe is directly related to the aid agency's work in the defence of human rights, particularly its work to provide emergency aid to vulnerable groups in Zimbabwe. I see this order as part of an ongoing trend on the part of the Zimbabwean authorities to restrict and curtail the activities of national and international human rights organisations in Zimbabwe.

I urge the Zimbabwean authorities to:

1.Reverse the suspension of CARE International's field activities in Zimbabwe, as Front Line believes the aid agency has been targeted solely as a result of its legitimate human rights and development activities;

2.Retract the order for the suspension of field operations of all PVOs and NGOs;

3.Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders and organisations operating in Zimbabwe are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals, and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

Yours sincerely