Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently signed the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Act 2025, raising concerns over its potential to restrict civic space significantly. Initially proposed in 2021, this law saw resistance and failed to gain presidential assent in 2023. The legislation introduces regulatory structures such as a Private Voluntary Organisations Board and an Office of the Registrar of PVOs, tasked with overseeing registration and supervision.
This statute expands the definition of PVOs to encompass trusts, legal persons, and “beneficial owners” and prohibits these organizations from endorsing or opposing political entities in elections. Section 21 empowers the government to suspend PVOs’ executive committees when deemed necessary “in the public interest.”
Amnesty International, among other human rights groups, has expressed concern that the legislation may be used to prevent the registration of human rights organizations, impeding efforts to hold the government accountable. In 2021, UN experts highlighted the bill’s discordance with international human rights laws, notably regarding freedom of association.
The European Union’s response, articulated by Ambassador Jobst von Kirchmann, underscores the utility’s concern, indicating that the bill “has further reinforced negative trends in governance.” Consequently, the EU has suspended its planned governance support for Zimbabwe in 2025.
This development follows the Zimbabwean government’s historical precedent under an earlier version of the PVO Act, where 291 organizations were deregistered in 2023. The continuation of such policies may significantly affect the operational latitude of NGOs and civil society organizations within Zimbabwe.
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