Ban on Foreign Human Rights Groups Proposed

Zimbabwe has proposed a ban on foreign and foreign-funded human rights groups, state media reported. The bill could be debated soon in Parliament, where President Robert Mugabe’s party has a comfortable majority.

Mugabe has repeatedly accused nongovernmental organizations of working with Western countries to undermine him.

The state-owned Herald newspaper said no NGO would be registered if its sole or principal objectives involved or included “issues of governance,” which are defined as “the promotion and protection of human rights and political governance issues.”