Zimbabwe deregisters Jimmy Carter's Carter Centre

The Carter Centre, an international NGO monitoring elections, was recently de-registered by the Zimbabwean government. Now, it is reportedly considering an alliance with the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) to continue its activities in Zimbabwe. However, the government has warned that such a partnership would be illegal.

Foreign organizations in Zimbabwe must be registered with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and fall under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once de-registered, these organizations cannot legally partner with any local entities.

Deputy Chief Secretary George Charamba emphasized that local organizations should verify the status of foreign entities with relevant authorities before collaborating. He warned that partnering with de-registered organizations breaches national security laws. Local entities must ensure that foreign partners are properly cleared and registered to avoid conflicts with the government.

ZESN executive director Ms. Rindai Chipfunde-Vava denied any current collaboration with the Carter Centre, stating that they only met during the election observation period. The Carter Centre and other Western observer missions were previously accused by the government of having a predetermined negative assessment of the harmonised elections.