Zimbabwe: President Signs Law to Curb Civic Space

Zimbabwe president signs law to curb civic space

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed a law that would significantly restrict the rights to freedom of association and expression in the country on Friday, according to Human Rights Watch. The law, the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Act 2025, was originally proposed in 2021 but failed to obtain presidential assent in 2023. It establishes a Private Voluntary Organisations Board and an Office of the Registrar of PVOs to be …

Zimbabwe tightens the noose on NGOs

A new law grants sweeping powers to President Mnangagwa's government, raising alarms among activists and international observers about the future of civic space in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe: President Signs Law to Curb Civic Space

Johannesburg -- Nongovernmental Organizations Face Threat of Deregistration, Criminal Prosecution

CSOs slam repressive PVO law

Source: CSOs slam repressive PVO law – CITEZW President Emmerson Mnangagwa In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the CSOs said the law “threatens to shut down civic space, criminalise CSOs’ legitimate activities, and undermine Zimbabwe’s constitutional democracy.” The legislation, which was officially gazetted on 11 April 2025, comes despite years of sustained opposition from civil society, including formal submissions to parliament, engage…