Non-Governmental Organisations in Zimbabwe - ZimFact
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March 13, 2018
There are over 1,000 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in Zimbabwe across a range of areas.  These include humanitarian aid, service organisations, and political governance.
This broad range of NGOs can be identified by their registration or main objectives; but often overlap within the different categories. Three organizational types define NGOs in Zimbabwe and these are Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs), Trusts and Common Law Universitas.
PVOs are registered under the Private and Voluntary Organisations Act through the Department of Social Welfare under the Ministry of Labor and Social Services. These are mandated under the law to conduct humanitarian work, charity, human rights work and legal aid for the benefit of the public, families, individuals and animals. It is mandatory for organisations conducting this type of work to register under the PVO Act. Penalties can be imposed on a group that carries out any of these activities without registration. Foreign organisations working in Zimbabwe are required to conclude a memorandum of understanding with the government.
PVOs however face challenges because of the potential for government control and censorship. This situation is best illustrated with the suspension of the Association of Women’s Clubs (AWC) one of Zimbabwe’s oldest women’s organisations by the government in 1995. On the 2 of November 1995, AWC which had a reported membership of close to 40,000 was suspended under the PVO Act. A government gazette announced the suspension of the Executive Committee and replaced them with those deemed “loyal” to ZANU PF.  The organizations funds were frozen until the suspension was lifted by a court ruling in 1997.
PVOs make up the vast majority of NGOs in the country with a 2014 study by the EU and NANGO indicating that there are around 993 registered PVOs. The vast majority of these, according to the Zimbabwe Human Development Report of 2000 are community based NGOs. Trusts and Unions according to the same report make up just five percent of the total.
Some NGOs in Zimbabwe are registered as Trusts by the Registrar of Deeds under the Deeds Registries Act. Trusts may have unlimited objectives and are intended to benefit an identifiable constituency. Charitable trusts have proved to be a headache for the government and there have been several instances where the government has tried to place these types of NGOs under the ambit of the PVO Act.  According to a paper by Roselyn Mhlanga of Kanokanga and Partners law firm, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labor in 2009 issued a “Joint Memorandum re: Amendment to the PVO Act   and the Deeds Registries Act”. The memo proposed that trusts which fall within the definition of a PVO must be obliged to register as PVOs.
Universitas are organisations that have members and a constitution, unregistered but with a common-law persona. This type of NGO is not regulated by Statute and are a product of Common Law.
International non-governmental organisations make up 4% of the total number of NGOs in the country. The UNOCHA Zimbabwe Humanitarian Contact Directory of 2012, listed 93 International Non-Governmental Organisations working in Zimbabwe. Intervention areas of these organisations include those working in Agriculture, Food, Health, Nutrition, Protection, Water sanitation and health (WASH) and Education.
Adapted from: www.zimbabweinstitute.net, “State of Civil Society Study 2008”
The growth and development of civil society in Zimbabwe can be linked to the historical period in which they arose from the colonial to the post-independence period. While the various organisations developed at different periods, those from preceding years have continued to operate alongside newer forms of civil society.
The different organisations work on a plethora of issues, with the Zimbabwe Human Development of 2000 report noting that organisations working on education and training made up the majority of organisations, followed by those working on gender and women’s rights.
Sourced from the Zimbabwe Human Development Report, 2000
Today, over 100 women’s organisations operate in Zimbabwe, with the largest coalition (Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe – WcoZ) with a membership of around 70 organisations.  Organizing for women started during the colonial period with one of the oldest organisations, the Association of Women’s Clubs (AWC) starting in 1938. The first decade of independence after 1980 saw more women’s groups operating, driven by challenges within the post-independence state.  The Women’s Action Group (WAG) for example began operations in 1983 following an operation titled “Operation Clean-Up” that saw women being arrested. Women who were seen in public spaces were rounded up as authorities claimed to be “cleaning” up the streets of “prostitutes”. Other organisations were created in this decade including the Federation of African Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ) formed in 1985, Musasa Project formed in 1988, Women and Law in Southern Africa created in 1989, among others.
The late 1990s saw a growth in organisations focusing on governance issues.  While these made up just 5% of civil society in 2000, the number has since risen with varying statistics indicating that these organisations may occupy as much as 10% of the civic space. Organisations formed from the late 1990s include the National Constitutional Assembly and the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe formed in 1998 and 1999 respectively, focusing on constitutional reform. A Zimbabwe Institute study of 2008 categorized governance NGOs into 10 categories which are:
These varied organisations have formed coalitions around issues of interest which include, the Human Rights NGO Forum, Crisis Coalition Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Election Support Network, the Women’s Coalition, and the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe among others.
The civic space in Zimbabwe continues to change with an increasing trend towards social media activism, the height which was felt during civil unrest in the country in July 2016. These protest movements under various hashtags such as #ThisFlag, #Tajamuka and #ShutDownZim reflect this trend. The longevity of these movements is yet to be tested given the ephemeral nature of social media, which makes their impact, powerful, though short-lived.
Factsheet prepared by Patience Zirima, director of Zimbabwe Media Monitors.
NGOs