Zimbabwe - April 2025

On 11 April, President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Act into law. This legislation gives authorities broad powers to regulate the governance of civil society organisations (CSOs), under the stated aim of combating terrorism financing and money laundering. It permits investigations into the funding and ownership of CSOs, and authorises the government to deregister or dissolve organisations, seize their assets, and remove or replace their leadership without judicial oversight. The law also introduces severe penalties, including prison sentences of up to 35 years, for offenses such as misrepresentation or illegal financing. Observers have warned that the law is intended to suppress dissent, and that it will restrict civic space and undermine freedoms of association. In response to the passing of the legislation, the European Union announced the suspension of its planned 2025 funding for governance reforms, citing concerns over the constraints on civic space.

Sources: Zimbabwean Government Gazette, ZimLive, ZimEye, European Union Ambassador to Zimbabwe, International IDEA

On 9 April, the Zimbabwean government announced that it had disbursed the first compensation payments to white farmers whose farms were expropriated under a controversial land reform programme implemented in the early 2000s. Intended to redress the country’s racially skewed land ownership, the Fast-Track Land Reform Programme redistributed approximately 4,500 white-owned farms to black recipients in chaotic seizures that were often marked by violence and illegality. The April payments, which covered 378 farmers, totalled USD 3.1 million in cash and USD 307.9 million in government bonds. A further 362 farmers have been approved for compensation under the same scheme, but many more are seeking a better deal. The payments are part of the IMF’s conditions to restructure the country’s large foreign debt. 

Sources: Africa Confidential, Human Rights Watch, The Guardian