HARARE – Legal watchdog Veritas has raised alarm over the validity of the recently gazetted Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Act, citing discrepancies between the final Act and the version passed by the Senate.
The Act, published in the Government Gazette on April 11 as Act 1 of 2025, is meant to overhaul Zimbabwe’s regulation of non-governmental organisations. However, Veritas contends that what was published does not reflect what was actually approved by both Houses of Parliament.
“In light of these discrepancies, the amendment Act cannot be regarded as an accurate reflection of the Bill that was passed by the Senate,” Veritas said in a legal analysis. “This effectively invalidates it because it does not represent the will of Parliament.”
Among the discrepancies cited are the insertion of a preamble and a long title in the gazetted Act that were never debated or passed in the Senate, as well as changes to the definition of the PVO Board and registration timelines for organisations. The Senate Bill, for instance, proposed abolishing the PVO Board entirely, yet the gazetted Act introduces a new structure for it.
Veritas explained that under section 131 of the Constitution, the same Bill must be passed by both the National Assembly and the Senate before it can be signed into law by the President and gazetted.
“Clearly that did not happen in the case of the PVO Amendment Act,” Veritas stated, adding that “the Act is invalid.”
This is not the first time procedural irregularities have marred the Bill’s legislative path. In 2024, Veritas flagged similar inconsistencies, leading to the President recommitting the Bill to the Senate.
The watchdog has published both the Senate version of the Bill and a consolidated version of the PVO Act on its website for public reference.
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