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From George Maponga in Masvingo
Government has started auditing operations of all local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to ensure they stick to their core mandates and avoid duplication of roles.

The development comes as some NGOs have been under fire for dabbling in politics in pursuit of regime change in the country.

Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare Lovemore Matuke warned them against deviating from their mandates.

He said those that stray from their mandate will be blacklisted.

“We want to make it clear to all NGOs operating in this country that they should stick to their mandates, and we are currently taking stock of what all NGOs registered to operate locally are doing because we have noticed that some of them are not sticking to their mandates,” he said.

“Government will not hesitate  to blacklist those NGOs that fail to stick to their mandates, they should follow the laws of the land and not pursue sinister agendas.”

He said it was worrying that they were some shadowy NGOs that were operating clandestinely in some parts of the country.

This he said was clear testimony that such organisations had sinister motives that had nothing to do with the welfare of ordinary Zimbabweans.

“After the audit exercise that we are doing, we will be able to know which NGO is doing what and whether what they are doing is consistent with their mandates.

“We are not against NGOs, but we want them to follow the laws of the land.”

Deputy Minister Matuke said NGOs should complement Government in its quest to engender socio-economic development.

He said the ongoing audit exercise of NGOs also sought to end duplication of roles.

“NGOs are partners of Government in development, and to that end, the left hand should know what the right hand is doing.

“There should be no duplication of roles between the two parties and    this can only be avoided if there is close coordination and cooperation,” said Deputy Minister Matuke.

Some of the NGOs working in the country have been rapped for doing very little in the event of a humanitarian   crisis in the country, with most of them having morphed into political groups advancing sinister agendas.