Zimbabwe - October 2024

On 17 October, Zimbabwe’s parliament passed a piece of legislation, which analysts say will significantly restrict the ability of civil society organisations (CSOs) to operate freely. The Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill 2024 amends the regulations governing CSOs. Its stated aims include countering money laundering and the financing of terrorism and preventing ‘the abuse of charitable giving for political or socially undesirable ends’. In vague and broad terms, it grants the executive extensive powers to monitor and intervene in the running of CSOs, including replacing an organisation’s executive committee. It also criminalises CSOs who engage in political activism, with offenders liable to a heavy fine or a prison sentence. An earlier version of the Bill was passed by parliament in 2023 but was returned by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for reconsideration amidst strong opposition and lapsed at the end of the previous parliamentary term.

Sources:  The Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill HB 2A, 2024, Veritas Zimbabwe (1), Veritas Zimbabwe (2), New Zimbabwe, United Nations