Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition shutting down with immediate effect

The anti-Zimbabwe USAID-sponsored opposition group, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, has collapsed. 

Donald Trump and Elon's shutdown of USAID put the final nail on CiZC's coffin. 

CiZC has resolved to dissolve its current organisational structure with immediate effect, citing intensifying political repression, shrinking civic space and the systematic use of the law to silence pro-democracy forces.

The decision was taken at the coalition's 16th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on January 21, 2026, which was convened in line with Section 6 (6.1) of the 2014 CiZC Constitution and attended by three-quarters of its membership.

In a statement issued after the meeting, CiZC said the AGM took place at an "exceptionally critical moment" for Zimbabwe, warning that the country's post-independence gains of freedom, democracy and prosperity are under sustained attack.

The coalition said Zimbabwe remains trapped in deepening socio-economic decline, democratic regression and political repression, blaming the situation on what it described as the enactment and enforcement of repressive legislation, including the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Act. According to CiZC, the law has curtailed civic space, criminalised legitimate civil society work and undermined constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of association, expression and participation.

CiZC also took aim at Statutory Instrument 156 of 2023, which removed parliamentary oversight over the Mutapa Investment Fund, a state-owned conglomerate valued at about US$16 billion. The coalition described the move as the "greatest state robbery since independence," arguing that citizens are bearing the cost through the deterioration of public transport, education, health services and social welfare systems.

Despite the challenges, CiZC said it has remained committed to promoting inclusive national development, human rights and constitutionalism, even as it accused the ruling elite of pursuing a 2030 agenda aimed at entrenching life presidency and permanent authoritarian rule.

Reflecting on its history, the AGM acknowledged the coalition's role in Zimbabwe's democratic struggles since its formation in 2001, including its involvement in major civic campaigns such as the Save Zimbabwe Campaign, which helped apply pressure leading to the Government of National Unity (GNU).

However, members also noted that civil society organisations have, for more than two decades, operated under shrinking democratic space, marked by the weaponisation of repressive laws, state surveillance, arbitrary arrests, meeting bans and harassment. CiZC said these conditions, worsened by funding constraints, have had a chilling effect on advocacy for transparency, accountability and the protection of fundamental rights.

The AGM expressed concern over the collapse of living standards, saying most citizens are sinking deeper into poverty amid declining incomes and rising costs of living. It dismissed official claims of 6% economic growth as "illusory and exclusionary," arguing that the benefits accrue to less than 10% of the population while low-income workers face heavy taxation.

According to the coalition, corruption and looting of public resources through fraudulent tenders have "systematically shredded" the Constitution, while social services continue to deteriorate. It estimated that 25,000 children remain out of school, with nearly half of enrolled learners missing classes due to unaffordable fees, and warned that Zimbabwe's public health system has declined to the point where seeking care at public hospitals has become a life-threatening risk.

Women, youth, persons with disabilities and orphans were identified as the groups most affected by the crisis, with CiZC noting that growing numbers of Zimbabweans are leaving the country for Botswana, South Africa and Europe in search of better opportunities.

The AGM also highlighted unresolved historical injustices, including Gukurahundi and other post-1980 political violations, saying efforts to address them have been tokenistic, unconsultative and lacking genuine political will.

Announcing the decision to dissolve the coalition's structure, CiZC said the move should not be seen as defeat but as a strategic repositioning to safeguard the continuity and relevance of citizens' aspirations.

"The struggle for democracy, justice and prosperity in Zimbabwe continues," the coalition said, invoking the Constitution's preamble, which commits citizens to defend the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law and principles of good governance.