The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has expressed concern over the growing clampdown on civil society organisations, activists, and journalists demanding good governance in Africa.
In a statement by its General Secretary, Akhator Joel Odigie, ITUC-Africa condemned the recent actions of some African governments, including Kenya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe, which have labelled and accused civil society organisations of sponsoring protests to destabilise their governments.
The organisation noted that these actions are alarming and unacceptable, and that criminalising citizen activism is a dangerous trend that undermines democracy and good governance.
ITUC-Africa specifically highlighted the cases of Kenya, where the government has accused civil society organisations of sponsoring the recent Gen Z movement protest; Nigeria, where government agencies have confiscated bank accounts and labelled some persons as persona non grata on allegations of funding the #EndBadGovernance protest; and Zimbabwe, where the government rounded up civil society organisation leaders and trade unionists on the pretext of preventing planned protests during the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of States Summit in Harare.
“ITUC-Africa sees these accusations and actions against CSOs, journalists, activists and citizens as weighty, sweeping, and dangerous. We reject them and call on the Kenyan, Nigerian, Zimbabwean, and other African governments to rethink and retrace their approaches and actions to dealing with internal governance issues rather than seek scapegoats,” Odigie said in his statement.
The ITUC-Africa general secretary reiterated that protests are tools for ensuring citizens’ participation in democracy and securing accountability.
He said, “We affirm that supporting citizens to ensure their active participation in governance, including supporting the organisation of protests, is not criminal and should not be criminalised. Governments must hand off CSOs, journalists and activists. We demand that governments must release unconditionally those arrested (journalists, activists and protesters) and genuine and transparent legal processes initiated against persons governments claim to have cases against.”
The regional organisation said addressing the underlying socioeconomic challenges that prompted the protests, such as tempering and reversing the rising cost of living, excess and inhuman tax policies, and austerity measures, would be a more practical approach to ensuring long-term stability, peace and progress.
