Dowa CSOs network worried over council deadlines

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Dowa Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Network has accused the council of exercising leniency towards non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have failed to register with the council following several deadlines issued.

The accusation comes after the council secretariat has again set December, 20, 2017 as the very last day of the extension period for all NGOs implementing various interventions in the district to register.

Dowa City Council accused of exercising leniency towards NGOs.(File)

On July, 2017 during district executive council committee meeting, the council gave NGOs up to 31st October and this too was extended to November 30, 2017 with a warning to all NGOs that those who fail to register by that date risk losing their recognition as NGOs for the district.

Speaking in an interview, the CSO Network’s chairperson Maxwell Kadutsa expressed worry that those NGOs failing to comply registering are not even members of the network for the district, hence their working in isolation cannot benefit the communities of the district.

“Even though the deadlines are being issued, there’s growing fears that some NGOs will not be traced and doubtful as to whether the information on a deadline is reaching their offices,” Kadutsa said.

In his remarks, Dowa District Council’s Acting Director of Planning and Development Martin Pindamkono said 23 out of 35 NGOs working on the ground in the district have submitted their registration forms to the council saying some others cannot be communicated and traced even by the CSO network for the district.

Pindamkono appealed to the NGOs which already submitted their forms to the council to keep on reminding their fellows that the council will no longer entertain them after the expiry of the deadline which is December, 20, 2017.

He reminded the NGOs that when filing their registration forms for submission to the council, they should share their budget line and activities planned for the good of the district in as far as transparency and accountability is concerned.

However, the Parent and Child Initiative (PACHI) Project Coordinator for Dowa, Ralphael Chikadza asked the council secretariat to organise itself in tracking down the NGOs failing to comply registering with it.

Chikadza said his organisation sees nothing wrong for the NGOs to share their budget for the projects saying this is already stipulated in the Memorandum of Understandings signed between the council and CSOs expressing hope that government sectors would do the same as they also receive funding which demand transparency and accountability.

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