Zimbabwe suspends all aid agencies

Zimbabwe suspends all aid agencies

BAN: Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche

• Zim orders aid group to suspend operations

• Mugabe defends land grab in Rome, blasts sanctions

• Mugabe says Zimbabwe will rush in maize

• RBZ parcels out farm implements as FAO warns of food crisis

• Eat donkey meat! Mugabe's nrew whacky plan

• Zimbabwe pays Malawi US$94 million for maize

• FAO and WFP in Zimbabwe food crisis warning

• Zimbabwe warns of bread, flour shortages

• Zimbabwe hikes maize price by 680 percent

• Flood fears for Zimbabwe farmers

• MDC leaders' fury at UN food decision

• Aid agencies feed Zimbabwe's hungry

• Zambia exports maize to Zimbabwe

• Made works 'like a donkey' on Mugabe's farm

• Made says monkey sabotaged farming season

• Zimbabwe army takes over food security

• GMB boss nabbed on corruption charges

• Renson Gasela: Zimbabwe: the politics of food

• 'Zimbabweans very, very happy' - Mugabe •

• Mugabe blames poverty on Britain, US

• Interview: Chen says no crisis in Zimbabwe

• Interview: Mutasa's lie rant at radio journalist in food crisis row

THE Zimbabwe government said on Thursday it had indefinitely suspended all work by aid groups and non-governmental organisations, accusing a number of breaching their terms of registration.

In a memorandum sent to aid groups, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Nicholas Goche, said he had learned that aid groups were violating the terms of their agreement with the government. He did not elaborate in the brief statement.

The statement says all aid and development groups are ordered to "suspend all field operations until further notice."

"It has hereby come to my attention that a number of NGOs involved in humanitarian operations are breaching the terms and conditions of their registration ... I hereby instruct all PVOs (Private Voluntary Organisations)/NGOs to suspend all field operations until further notice," read the notice.

Earlier this week, the aid organisation CARE International said it had been ordered to halt operations pending an investigation of allegations it was campaigning for the opposition in the run-up to a June 27 presidential runoff. CARE denies the allegation.

British charities have warned that a Zimbabwean government ban on all aid agency field work would be "extremely detrimental".

Christian Aid's Judith Melby said: "It is going to be extremely detrimental -quite frightening, frankly.”

Speaking at a world summit on food security, hosted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome on Tuesday, President Robert Mugabe accused NGOs of working to topple his government.

"Funds are being channelled through non-governmental organizations to ... opposition political parties which are a creation of the West," he said, "Further, these western-funded NGOs also use food as a political weapon with which to campaign against (the) government especially in the rural areas."

Mugabe, 84, is fighting for re-election against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in a June 27 ballot. - Reuters/Staff Reporter
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com