Tightening the Noose: Narrowing the Democratic Space for NGOs in Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwean government is preparing to introduce legislation to regulate NGOs, which analysts suggest is a strategy to marginalise civic organisations that challenge the ruling party's political hegemony. The proposed Bill is expected to specifically target groups focused on human rights, good governance, and democracy, potentially threatening the survival of NGOs and the safety of independent activists.

• The Zimbabwean government intends to introduce new laws to monitor and regulate the activities of non-governmental organisations.
• Analysts interpret the proposed legislation as a political tool to marginalise or remove civic organisations that threaten the ruling party's power, especially ahead of the 2005 parliamentary election.
• The legislation is expected to primarily target civic movements working in human rights, good governance, and democracy, posing a risk to the survival of NGOs and the safety of independent activists.

APA

Mashumba, N., & Maroleng, C. (n.d.). Tightening the Noose: Narrowing the Democratic Space for NGOs in Zimbabwe. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-tightening-the-noose-narrowing-the-democratic-space-for-ngos-in-zimbabwe-noria-mashumba-and-chris-maroleng

Chicago

Mashumba, Noria, and Chris Maroleng. Tightening the Noose: Narrowing the Democratic Space for NGOs in Zimbabwe. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-tightening-the-noose-narrowing-the-democratic-space-for-ngos-in-zimbabwe-noria-mashumba-and-chris-maroleng.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mashumba |first1=Noria |last2=Maroleng |first2=Chris |title=Tightening the Noose: Narrowing the Democratic Space for NGOs in Zimbabwe |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-tightening-the-noose-narrowing-the-democratic-space-for-ngos-in-zimbabwe-noria-mashumba-and-chris-maroleng |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mashumbandtightening, author = {Mashumba, Noria and Maroleng, Chris}, title = {{Tightening the Noose: Narrowing the Democratic Space for NGOs in Zimbabwe}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-tightening-the-noose-narrowing-the-democratic-space-for-ngos-in-zimbabwe-noria-mashumba-and-chris-maroleng}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }