21 Jul 2016

Parliament has adopted the Societies (Amendment) Bill which replaces the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) Council in the Advisory and Arbitration Council.

Presenting the bill on July 20, Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu said Section 31 (2) of the Societies (Amendment) Act states that members of the Advisory and Arbitration Council shall be appointed by the minister and shall consist of six persons from the NGO Council. The minister said the NGO council should be replaced with registered societies.

Membership of the Advisory and Arbitration Council also includes one person from the general public with expertise in matters related to societies and the permanent secretary of the ministry responsible for registration of societies under the Act who shall be an ex-officio member. Another member is a lawyer from government who shall also be an ex-officio member.

Minister Batshu said the functions of the Council shall be to guide and advise the minister on issues of registration of societies which shall include; to asses and review matters referred to it by the Registrar and to asses and make recommendations on specific applications for registration referred to it by the Registrar.

The Advisory and Arbitration Council shall also arbitrate in cases of disputes in the registered societies and other disputes that may arise between Societies and engage in promotion and development of policy issues concerned with societies.

Societies include religious organisations, social clubs, sports and recreational clubs, charitable organisations, farmers associations, professional associations, political associations, burial associations, cultural associations and women’s associations. BOPA