According to a
government notice published in the Government Gazette, Chief Secretary to the
President and Cabinet, Dr. Martin Rushwaya, announced the development, stating:
“The following
law, which was assented to by His Excellency the President, is published in
terms of subsection 6(a) of section 131 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe —
Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Act (No. 1) of 2025,” said Dr.
Rushwaya in General Notice 620 of 2025.
The notice,
dated 11 April 2025, formalises the controversial law, which has sparked
criticism from civil society organisations and human rights defenders who view
it as a tool to restrict civic space in Zimbabwe.
Authorities say
the new law is aimed at curbing money laundering and terrorism financing. But
human rights groups warn it will severely restrict the work of civil society
organisations, many of which rely on foreign funding.
The law allows
government to deregister organisations accused of political activity, replace
their leadership, and closely monitor foreign funding.
Justice
Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has in the past argued that the law would help
Zimbabwe comply with international financial standards.
“This is in
line with recommendations from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and is
necessary to protect our economy from illicit flows,” he said.
But civil
society organisations warned that the law could be used to silence critical
voices and undermine human rights work.
However, rights
groups such as the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) argued that the law
gives the government sweeping powers to interfere in the operations of
independent organisations.
Amnesty
International called it “a serious blow to freedoms of association, expression
and assembly.”
Regional and
international observers have also raised concerns about the law’s potential
impact on Zimbabwe’s civic space.
The Observatory
for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders warned that the legislation could
be weaponised against organisations working on governance, human rights and
democracy. CITE
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