Zimbabwe Enabling Environment Baseline Snapshot

Zimbabwe’s civic space remains severely constrained by escalating state repression, restrictive legislation, and political intolerance. Civil society organisations (CSOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs) operate under constant surveillance, harassment, and threats. According to the 2024 State of Civic Space in Zimbabwe Report, over 94% of national CSOs and 84% of grassroots CBOs reported facing obstruction, intimidation, and extortion.

The proposed Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill, widely criticised as a tool for political control, was enacted as the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Act in April 2025, granting the government sweeping powers to deregister organisations and monitor civic activity. Attendant police presence at CSO community meetings has further eroded trust and safety in local engagement.

Major political developments have compounded these pressures. The August 2024 SADC Summit in Harare was heavily securitised, with civil society voices excluded and activists targeted. Meanwhile, ZANU PF’s post-election agenda to extend President Mnangagwa’s rule until 2030 has intensified repression.

The Choked by Fear Report documents the chilling effect of hate speech, threats, and violence on civic participation in the 31 March protests. Despite these challenges, a few CSOs have managed to sustain limited engagement, demonstrating resilience in an increasingly hostile environment. However, the broader trajectory points to deepening democratic backsliding and a repressed civic space for rights-based advocacy.