Nyoni: Government suspicious of NGOs

via Nyoni: Government suspicious of NGOs – New Zimbabwe 30/06/2015

SMALL enterprises minister Sithembiso Nyoni has revealed that the state is suspicious of international organisations and donors who are coming to partner with government.

in 2008, the Zanu PF government banned NGOs which were distributing food aid in the rural areas, accusing the development agencies of helping the opposition to campaign.

Nyoni revealed the administration’s distrust while officiating at the signing of an $8 million youth fund donated Britain’s Department for International Development (DFID), the US government via (USAID), Sweden development aid department, and the International Youth Foundation (IYF).

The minister said she had to convince cabinet to release her to officiate at the function.

“When I was defending my ministry’s partnership with IYF I convinced the committee that we were going to work very hard and very well,” said Nyoni.

“I had to convince the committee to pass this partnership through and then I said if you see an international organisation signing an MOU with a government ministry it means they mean business to develop that country alongside that government and the people”.

The fund will benefit 22,500 young Zimbabweans from around the country through entrepreneurship skills development for the coming three years.

Nyoni praised the western donors for providing the funding which she said will reduce the country’s increasing unemployment through creating jobs for people in the informal sector.