Zimbabwe's foreign funded CSOs under siege from spooks

At least 94% of Zimbabwe's civic society organisations (CSOs) are facing heightened surveillance and infiltration by state agents, according to a new report, signaling a growing crackdown on civic and political participation. The report, titled The State of Civic Space in Zimbabwe, was produced by ZimRights in collaboration with the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights.

The survey, which involved 67 CSOs, includes a range of organisations from national-level non-governmental groups, community-based entities, faith-based organisations, trade unions, and residents' associations, ensuring broad geographic representation across Zimbabwe. The findings paint a stark picture of a stifled civic space, with organisations operating under restrictive conditions that impede their work.

According to the report, only 5.5% of national-level CSOs reported operating without restrictions, while a staggering 94.4% faced state surveillance, infiltration by government agents, material destruction, and intimidation of participants. Additionally, 84% of the surveyed organisations faced challenges such as demands for bribes, intimidation by local authorities, and barriers to free community engagement, creating an environment of fear that curtails grassroots activism.

The report also highlights the role of the controversial Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO) Amendment Bill in further restricting civic space. Initially passed by the Senate in February 2024, the Bill allows the state to interfere with the governance and activities of CSOs, imposing stringent registration requirements and penalties for non-compliance, including heavy fines and imprisonment. The Bill was referred back to Parliament by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for reconsideration, but was passed again by the Senate in October 2024 without amendments, raising concerns among critics that it is an anti-democratic move to silence dissent and curtail civil society operations.

ZimRights and other advocates warn that the PVO Amendment Bill could undermine the fundamental rights enshrined in Zimbabwe's Constitution. "The Bill imposes onerous registration requirements and grants authorities the power to suspend or deregister organisations, threatening the vital role CSOs play in promoting democracy, human rights, and social development," the report states. The law is also seen as part of the broader effort by the Mnangagwa administration to erode any hopes for post-Robert Mugabe democratic reforms.

ZimRights has called on the government to create an inclusive Civic Space Roundtable, a platform to bring together CSOs, government representatives, and international experts to explore ways to regulate CSOs effectively. This initiative would focus on balancing governance with the protection of civic space, drawing from best practices and recommendations from the United Nations and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR).

"The government should initiate this roundtable to ensure that civic space remains open and vibrant, and that CSOs can continue to play their critical role in promoting human rights, democracy, and social development," the report concludes.

As the pressure mounts on CSOs, the report underscores the increasingly hostile environment in which these organisations must operate, with severe implications for Zimbabwe's democracy and human rights landscape.