The Zimbabwean government said on Thursday it was considering suspending the registrations of about 30 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) over suspected misuse of 87 million US dollars they received from international donors last year.

Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare Minister Paul Mangwanasaid the funds were part of 210 million dollars the government requested from international donors last year for community projects such as borehole and road development in rural areas, and food aid for vulnerable groups.

He said international donors elected to channel the aid via NGOs instead of the government directly, and about 87 million dollars was advanced last year to more than 30 NGOs.

But he said most of the recipient NGOs had failed to account for the money to the government, with only five doing so.

"We have written to them to give us the information on how the money was spent several times -- first in October, again in November and December -- without success, and we are in the process of drafting a final letter before we take action," he said.

He said he suspected possible abuse, or misdirection of the funds by NGOs involved, and stressed the matter would be investigated in full.

Mangwana said the government was contemplating, among other things, suspending the registrations of the NGOs in question in response to their refusal to account for the funds, widely suspected to have been abused.

Under the country's new laws, NGOs are required to register with the government, and account for their activities, among other things.

The laws, enacted last year, were intended to ensure transparency in the NGO sector, and guard against foreign political interference via NGOs, after a number of them were caught funding political parties in the last five years.

Source: Xinhua