Zimbabwean non-governmental organizations seeking to provide food aid and other forms of humanitarian assistance face red tape before they can resume operations, despite Harare's recent announcement it would lifting a ban on such NGO activities imposed in June.

Non-governmental organizations wishing to resume aid efforts have been told to re-register with the government by September 30, non-governmental sources said.

Meanwhile, a ban on human rights and governance activities by NGOs remains in force, said sources reporting on a briefing Monday in Harare by Labor and Social Welfare Ministry Permanent Secretary Lancaster Museke.

Museke told NGO representatives that they must also cooperate with local authorities including the police in their field operations, the sources said.

The official ordered NGOs advocating human rights, democracy and governance to leave the meeting, saying that their operations remained prohibited by the June ban.

Spokesman Fambai Ngirande of the National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations told reporter Patience Rusere of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that although NGOs involved in humanitarian efforts welcome the lifting of the ban, they will be spending more time trying to meet government requirements than helping Zimbabwe’s millions of needy.

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