The new PVO law is a sign of a government that fears its own people

The Zimbabwe government has always been afraid of its own people.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's signing of the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Act, 2025, into law marks yet another dangerous turn in Zimbabwe's slow but deliberate slide into authoritarianism.

Cloaked in the language of transparency, accountability, and security, this legislation is in fact a calculated attempt to suffocate civil society and silence those who dare to speak out on behalf of the voiceless.

It is, unmistakably, a declaration of war on civic activism.

For years, the Mnangagwa administration has accused NGOs of "meddling in the country's internal affairs" and being "foreign-funded agents" pushing regime change.

This tired narrative, often repeated without evidence, has now found its legal anchor.

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The new law gives the government near-total control over how private voluntary organizations are registered, funded, and operated.

Even more chilling, it introduces punitive civil penalties and criminal sanctions for those who fail to comply with its vague and expansive requirements.

What it really does is entrench fear and self-censorship, particularly among organizations involved in human rights, electoral education, legal aid, and public accountability.

At the heart of any functioning democracy lies the right of citizens to know and claim their rights - and civil society organizations have been the backbone of that effort in Zimbabwe.

In a country where legal literacy remains dangerously low, and where public institutions are often inaccessible to the poor and marginalized, NGOs have filled a critical void.

They provide essential services, educate communities, defend victims of state abuse, and challenge unconstitutional laws.

If anything, accusing civil society organizations of “meddling in the country's internal affairs” is deeply disingenuous.

The vast majority of NGOs operating in Zimbabwe were founded and are led by Zimbabweans themselves - patriotic citizens committed to uplifting their communities.

While many of these organizations may seek funding from outside the country due to local economic constraints, their work is rooted in addressing issues that directly affect Zimbabweans, not foreign interests.

Far from being enemies of the state, these organizations have been the conscience of the nation.

Organizations like the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) have consistently stepped in to defend activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens who are arbitrarily arrested or harassed by state agents.

Their lawyers are often the first - and only - line of defense for those persecuted for speaking truth to power.

The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), on the other hand, has been a fearless advocate for communities in mineral-rich areas who have suffered displacement, abuse, and environmental degradation.

When villagers in Marange were brutalized and pushed off their land to make way for diamond mining operations linked to the state and military, it was CNRG that documented and publicized these atrocities.

When Chinese companies pillaged land and destroyed rivers and sacred sites in Shurugwi, again it was CNRG that stood up for the rights of local people.

Is that not patriotism?

But now, these are precisely the organizations that the PVO Act seeks to choke.

Through expanded definitions of “controllers” and “beneficial owners,” the law brings under surveillance not only those who manage NGOs, but even those who fund or advise them.

It criminalizes seeking or receiving funding - especially from foreign sources - unless approved by the state.

It imposes harsh fines, even jail time, for failure to register or comply with administrative technicalities.

And it gives the Minister and Registrar the power to shut down, reconstitute, or seize control of organizations deemed problematic.

That includes appointing trustees to replace elected boards - an outrageous violation of freedom of association and organizational autonomy.

The implications are profound.

In practical terms, this means Zimbabweans will have less access to legal representation, civic education, and social services.

It means marginalized groups - rural women, displaced communities, youth activists - will lose critical platforms for their voices to be heard.

It means those unjustly arrested for political reasons will be left to rot without recourse.

It means communities living on top of diamonds, gold, and lithium will be driven off their ancestral land without compensation, as state-connected corporations loot resources with impunity.

For any nation to develop meaningfully, there must be checks and balances on those who wield power.

Civil society is one of the most vital pillars of such accountability.

These are the organizations that investigate corruption, expose abuse, and hold leaders to the promises enshrined in the Constitution.

If the government truly sought transparency, it would strengthen these watchdogs, not cripple them.

It would fund them.

It would protect them.

But that is not what this law does.

In fact, the most revealing question we must ask is: why now?

Why sign this bill into law in April 2025, when it has been sitting on the President's desk since October 2024?

The timing is not coincidental.

It comes precisely at a moment when pressure is mounting for Mnangagwa to step down after his second and final term, as required by the Constitution.

It comes as talk grows louder of a potential bid to amend the Constitution to allow him to stay in power beyond 2028.

And it comes amid growing resistance to that plan, including from within the ruling party itself.

This law is part of a broader strategy to silence dissent in advance.

Civil society organizations are rightly viewed by the regime as potential mobilizers of public opposition to constitutional amendments aimed at extending presidential power.

These are the groups most likely to educate Zimbabweans on what the Constitution says, why term limits matter, and how to resist authoritarian creep through the ballot box or referendum.

That makes them dangerous in the eyes of an insecure leadership.

And so, the state moves to pre-emptively paralyze them.

This law is not just a legal instrument - it is a political weapon.

It is designed to deter activism, dismantle solidarity networks, and deprive the people of the tools to fight back.

And it does so not only by targeting advocacy groups, but also by ensnaring humanitarian organizations - those who simply want to feed the hungry, treat the sick, and care for orphans.

In the current climate of droughts, hunger, and economic collapse, cutting off such lifelines is nothing short of cruel.

Let us be clear: Zimbabwe does not need fewer NGOs.

It needs more of them.

We need them in every township, every village, every courtroom, and every boardroom.

We need them helping victims of injustice, holding public officials accountable, and educating our children about their rights.

We need them now more than ever.

To criminalize civic service, to paint human rights defenders as enemies, to place a stranglehold on organizations led by patriotic Zimbabweans - all this is to confess, loudly and clearly, that one fears the people.

It is to admit that one no longer governs by consent, but by control.

And that, in itself, is the ultimate proof that we are no longer a democracy in any meaningful sense of the word.

© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/