By Staff Reporter
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, aims to overhaul Zimbabwe’s regulation of non-governmental organisations.
However, Veritas argues that the gazetted version does not match what was approved by parliament.
Key discrepancies include the insertion of a preamble and a long title that were never debated, as well as alterations to the definition of the PVO Board and registration timelines. Notably, while the Senate Bill proposed abolishing the PVO Board entirely, the gazetted Act reintroduces a revised structure for it.
“In light of these discrepancies, the amendment Act cannot be regarded as an accurate reflection of the Bill that was passed by the Senate.
“This effectively invalidates it because it does not represent the will of Parliament,” said Veritas in its legal analysis.
Veritas emphasized that under Section 131 of the Constitution, the same Bill must be passed by both the national assembly and the senate before presidential assent and gazetting.
“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 flaws have plagued the Bill.
In 2024, Veritas exposed similar inconsistencies, forcing president Emmerson Mnangagwa to return the Bill to the Senate.
For transparency, Veritas has published both the senate-approved version and the consolidated PVO Act on its website for public scrutiny.
