Zimbabwe is a constitutional republic where civic space remains severely restricted and hostile to CSOs. Civil society faces pervasive state surveillance, harassment of activists, arbitrary arrests and intimidation of communities. The Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Act, 2025 poses a serious threat, granting government wide discretion to deregister organisations, criminalise dissent and impose intrusive oversight, while arbitrary demands by local authorities further obstruct operations.
Political developments have intensified these constraints. The ruling party’s push to extend President Mnangagwa’s tenure until 2030 has led to crackdowns on critics, with journalists, student leaders and activists facing detention, torture and public vilification. Official rhetoric portrays CSOs as “regime-change agents,” legitimising repression. Incidents around the 2024 SADC Summit included abductions and arrests of human rights defenders, whose persecution continued into 2025. Journalists have also been arrested for interviewing critics of the 2030 agenda who called for protests, further restricting expression and press freedom.
Funding remains available through international partners, but is increasingly precarious due to compliance burdens under the PVO Amendment Act, cuts in US foreign aid and Zimbabwe’s economic crisis, particularly affecting grassroots and rights-based groups.
Despite these challenges, civil society remains resilient. Some willingness to engage across branches of government has enabled advocacy gains, including the 2024 abolition of the death penalty and some adjustments to the PVO Amendment Act. Potential accession to the Open Government Partnership could also strengthen public participation, although the enabling environment remains obstructed.
Network Member:
ZimRights – Campaigners for Human Rights
