https://www.republikein.com.na/maatskaplike-kwessies/wetgewing-wurg-burgerlike-sektor2023-09-25
“WETGEWING WURG BURGERLIKE SEKTOR
Moet teen Vrydag (29th September 2023) registreer
In terme van registrasie en nakoming is die fokus veral op kerke, geloofsgebaseerde organisasies en welsynsorganisasies wat onder meer betrokke is by behuising, gesondheid, welsynsdienste en onderwys.
Augetto Graig
• 2 DAE GELEDE – 2023-09-25 00:00:00
“Die tyd het aangebreek om burgerlik ongehoorsaam te wees,” sê Joris Komen, die stigter van die niewinsgewende organisasie Netday Namibia.
Dit na aanleiding van die Bank of Namibië (BoN) se Sentrum vir Finansiële Intelligensie (FIC) wat steeds daarop aandring dat alle niewinsgewende organisasies in Namibië teen 29 September geregistreer moet wees en aan streng verklaringsmaatreëls in verband met hul geldsake moet voldoen. Dit sodat die FIC glo kan vasstel of ’n organisasie ’n risiko loop om terrorismebedrywighede te finansier of vir geldwassery gebruik te word.
By ’n vergadering wat Vrydag by die Hilton Hotel in die hoofstad gehou is het Kristian Hamutenya, die FIC se adjunkdirekteur van nakoming, gesê niks kan nou aan die nuwe wetgewing verander word nie. “Ongelukkig nie nou nie,” was sy antwoord op vrae oor die aanskuif van die sperdatum of versagting van die vereistes.
Hy sê in terme van registrasie en nakoming is die fokus veral op kerke, geloofsgebaseerde organisasies en welsynsorganisasies wat onder meer betrokke is by behuising, gesondheid, welsynsdienste en onderwys. Organisasies van dié aard moet die FIC dringend kontak, sê Hamutenya.
Behalwe vir die bogenoemde moet alle (“other”) niewinsgewende organisasies die Wysigingswet op Finansiële Intelligensie no. 6 van 2023 gehoorsaam.”
So there you have it.
While I’m likely to comply with FIC’s registration demands for “other” non-faith, non-charitable non-profit organizations (NPOs), I’m doing this under protest since my 22-year old Incorporated Association not for gain simply doesn’t have N$ 100 million to pay as a penalty for non-compliance with this draconian legal amendment surreptitiously slipped into law earlier this year. And I certainly won’t live long enough to deal with the alternative 30 year prison sentence!
FOR FIC’s SAKE!
(what a t-shirt this would make!)
FIC representatives claimed that their media interventions from early 2020 onwards (remember COVID?) were sufficiently public for all us potentially terrorist-funding NPOs to have recognised the urgency of their demands for our institutional information, police (!) and credit bureau clearance of our legacy board members and administrators, as well as of our donors and clients on an annual basis!
Arguing that the urgency of this demand on our 1000s of churches (and one or two mosques and a recently deconcecrated synagogue) — all NPOs — is driven by a national fiduciary obligation to some UN policing group of countries call FATF (typically including the USA and “other democracies”) which threaten a GREY LISTING of our country which FIC representatives claim will have worse economic consequences than any international Ratings agency would ever be able to deliver!
And thus so in apparent blissful ignorance of money-laundering political parties (one of which was still seen as a terrorist organization shortly before our independence in 1990!) and utterly corrupt government officials, their families and friends raping our country’s resources to the tune of gazillions of dollars!
FOR FIC’s SAKE!
Eben de Klerk https://www.epra.cc is right in his thoughtful sentiments concerning the underlying motive of this “affaire”…
On 21 July 2023, the President signed into law the Financial Intelligence Amendment Act (6 of 2023) in Government Gazette, Nr 8139. This amendment act inter alia added a definition of “non-profit organisation”, as well as section 35A with the heading “Powers of Centre in relation to non-profit organisations”. In terms of this newly added section, on 31 August 2023, the Minister of Finance promulgated a host of regulations (Government Gazette number 8192) with which all “non-profit organisations” must comply.
A non-profit organisation is defined as meaning “[a] legal person or arrangement or organisation that primarily engages in raising or disbursing funds for purposes such as charitable, religious, cultural, educational, social or fraternal purposes, or for the carrying out of other type of good works, where the Centre under section 35A identifies certain non-profit organisations to which the applicable provisions of this Act apply”.
It was reported in the media that Namibia had to scramble to put in place several laws, or risk being “grey-listed” as a country. Several foreign agencies are involved, including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The Namibian government subsequently put in place this (and other laws) to help fight organised crime, money laundering and terrorism on global level.
It is highly doubtful that there is any significant risk of high-level financial crimes such as money laundering and financing terrorism in Namibia’s civil society sector -– Namibia’s financial crimes are typically associated with government, state-owned enterprises and well-connected people.
I have no objection with lawful efforts to fight any form of crime. But to suggest that “we have no (other) choice”, when it comes to potential conflict with our constitution and other local laws, is sublime. It is incomprehensible that any responsible international agency would demand that Namibia enact laws that breach our constitutional rights and freedoms, and worse still, demand the oppression of civil society, and the destruction of our free democracy, only to make their democracies (USA and European countries mostly) safer!
Government’s pussy-footing around financial institutions and industries with vast profits (and philanthropic tokenism), while inflicting gross bureaucratic overreach and government control of civil society (very much like Zimbabwe – their Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill provides one more “legal” vehicle for institutions of extraction to oppress civil society organisations) rightly demands collective civil disobedience, witness to the rapid erosion of our hard-earned democracy.
Read my blog
tatejoris; personally speaking... 
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