Wed, 19 Dec 2012 07:32:49 +0000
NATIONAL Empowerment Forum (NEF) Executive Director Edgar Siakachoma has described the Non Governmental Act of 2009 as bad law that was crafted to suppress the voices of Civil Society and Zambians at large.
Mr. Siakachoma said that the law which was enacted by the previous regime should be amended in order to accommodate concerns raised by the civil society.
“The Non Governmental Act of 2009 is a damn bad Law that was crafted by the MMD government to suppress the voices of Civil Society. We hope that the current government will not backtrack on the observation they made when they were in opposition that the law was meant to silence certain sections of society,” said Mr. Siakachoma.
He said that Zambians would agree with him that part 48 sub-section 26 (b) of the PF manifesto 2011-2016 states that once in power, the PF government would review the Act so as to guarantee active participation of civil society and promote constant dialogue between the State and the civil society.
“You will agree with me that PART 48 Subsection 26 (b) of the PF Manifesto 2011-2016 states that once in power, the PF would review the ACT so as to guarantee active participation of Civil Society and promote constant dialogue between the state and the civil society,” he said.
Mr. Siakachoma said that NEF believed that any meaningful empowerment of citizens would only be achieved if NGOs were allowed to operate freely without any political interference.
He said that it was time the PF government real
ized that the State and civil society were mutually interdependent and complementary partners in national development.
“It is time government realized that the state and civil society are mutually interdependent and complementary partners in national development and any attempts by the PF government to apply the NGO Act 2009 in its current form will one day backfire on them,” he warned.
