NGOs relations with govt still shaky, admits THRDC activist

A human rights activist has admitted that relations between the civil society and the government are still shaky.

“We are keen on mending relations with the government even though they do not like us. They often associate us with the opposition,” said Mr Onesmo Olengurumwa, the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) coordinator.

Mr Olengurumwa told reporters on the sidelines of the Tanzania Civil Society Self Reflection meeting here on Friday that Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were established and mandated to fight for justice.

On the contrary, he alleged that this was not taken so by some public officials, who continue to perceive the CSOs and the broader Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) sector as anti-establishment. “I am appealing to the authorities to discard this notion. In fact, we in the civil society need government protection in order to operate smoothly,” he pointed out.

Mr Olengurumwa stressed that the CSOs were key partners in development like the private sector and appealed to the government to embrace them for building of the nation.

“It is not true that we are working with the opposition. We stand for justice for all,” stressed as the meeting, which brought local human rights NGOs took off at Mt Meru Hotel.

He pledged the civil society’s readiness to work closely with the government in addressing the challenges facing the society, further stressing that the CSOs would not waver in fighting for the rights of the people.

However, the THRDC boss admitted that there had been a mushrooming of NGOs, many of them scattered throughout the country, with overlapping roles. “We have to evaluate ourselves so that we meet our expectations,” he pointed out, admitting that the civil society sector was facing challenging times due to emerging government policies.

The President of Zanzibar Law Society (ZLS), Mr Omar Saidi echoed Mr Olengurmwa’s remarks, saying the CSOs have been linked with political activism.

“This is a global trend,” he said, noting that the NGOs should strive to embrace good governance so that they are not seen to benefit only a few officials instead of the society.

The Registrar of Societies in the ministry of Home Affairs Ms Mary Komba said ideally such bodies have to be struck off once they fail to deliver as per their establishment.

However, she said the government often had to intervene during conflicts among the officials running the institutions mostly over expenditure of money and management of assets.

For his part, the Registrar of NGOs from the Health ministry, Mr Marcel Katemba emphasised that the government has no problem with the NGOs provided they follow the set rules and regulations.

“We in the government value the great contribution of the civil society sector but they have to operate within the ambit of the law”, he stressed.