Season’s greetings from the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO). I am pleased to extend warm compliments and a heartfelt welcome to our members, partners, stakeholders, and the general public as we officially resume office operations following the festive season break. Please be advised that with effect from 12 January 2026, all NANGO offices have fully resumed operations.
This new year presents a timely opportunity to reaffirm NANGO’s commitment to institutional strengthening; enhancing our value proposition to membership; positioning NANGO as a hub for CSO capacitation and knowledge generation; strengthening collective advocacy and policy influence; fostering an enabling operating environment; and promoting effective CSO engagement on both national and global development agendas. NANGO remains steadfast in its mandate to coordinate, represent, and strengthen the civil society sector in Zimbabwe.
As we embark on 2026, we remain acutely aware that the operating environment for CSOs in Zimbabwe and beyond continues to evolve in complex and often challenging ways. This environment is increasingly shaped by regulatory shifts, persistent political and socio-economic uncertainties, shrinking development financing, and deepening social challenges, placing immense pressure on CSOs and the communities we serve.
The Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Act remains only partially operationalised. Key processes are still outstanding, including the gazetting of the accompanying regulations, the reconstitution of the PVO Board, and the establishment of the new PVO Registrar’s Office. In addition, a significant backlog of registration applications remains unresolved. For many organisations in transition, this situation has generated heightened anxiety, uncertainty, and frustration as they seek to regularise their legal status. These realities underscore the continued importance of sustained and constructive engagement with regulators, alongside the provision of practical compliance guidance and strengthened sector-wide coordination.
Compounding the regulatory context are ongoing shifts in the development financing landscape. Budgetary contractions, donor strategic realignments, and evolving global priorities driven by geopolitical shifts and humanitarian crises continue to reshape funding flows. At the same time, Zimbabwe faces persistent socio-economic challenges, including high unemployment, rising drug and substance abuse, worsening mental health outcomes, deepening poverty, and enduring social inequalities. These challenges have intensified demand for CSO interventions at a time when available resources are increasingly constrained.
This growing mismatch between needs and resources reinforces the urgency of strengthening partnerships with diverse stakeholders, exploring domestic resource mobilisation opportunities, and engaging in forward-looking conversations on sustainable development financing. As a sector, we are called not only to adapt, but to innovate, collaborate, and collectively safeguard civic space, while remaining responsive to the communities we exist to serve.
During the course of 2026, NANGO will roll out several flagship initiatives, including: the 3rd Edition of the CSO Symposium commemorating World NGO Day; CSO support and accompaniment on the implementation of the PVO Amendment Act, 2025; CSO Capacity Development Programme; Regional Annual NGO Expos Winter Schools; the 16th Edition of the NANGO Annual NGO Directors’ Summer Retreat; ongoing “Talk to Your Regulator” sessions; and Compliance Clinics, among others.
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to our development partners, government institutions, private sector actors, academia, the media, and all allies of civil society for their continued collaboration and support. These partnerships remain critical in fostering dialogue, mutual accountability, and collective action towards improving the lives of the people we serve.
I encourage all members, partners, and stakeholders to actively engage with us throughout the year as we deepen our partnerships and work together for greater collective impact.
Once again, I warmly welcome you to the 2026 work year and extend my best wishes for what promises to be a productive, impactful, and transformative year ahead.
In solidarity,
Mr. Ernest Nyimai
Executive Director, NANGO