On 5 November 2021, the Zimbabwe government gazetted a Private Voluntary Organisation Amendment Bill to counter terrorism and prohibit political lobbying from non-government organisations. Following public consultations and submissions from various stakeholders, an amended bill was presented in June 2022 which significantly altered the initial bill, disregarded civil society’s concerns and imposed stricter and more repressive clauses. The bill, if passed, threatens to crack down on civil society and organisations exposing human rights violations and holding the government accountable, criminalise their work and impose punitive measures, including imprisonment.
