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General Notice 99 of 2007 - Code of Procedure for the Registration and Operations of
Non-Governmental Organisations in Zimbabwe
Updated April 27, 2007

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Private Voluntary Organisations Act [Chapter 17:05]

Code of Procedure for the Registration and Operations of
Non-Governmental Organisations in Zimbabwe

1. Introduction
(a) It is a statutory requirement for any private voluntary organisation (PVO) that intends to operate in Zimbabwe to apply for registration in terms of the Private Voluntary Organisations Act [Chapter 17:05] (the Act).
(b) The registration procedures and requirements take cognisance of the differences in both the organisational and management backgrounds between local and international organisations and are therefore crafted with specificity to these differences.

2. Local organisations
In terms of section 9 of the Act, the Secretary of any PVO which is required to be registered shall lodge such application with the Registrar, in the following manner as prescribed below—
All local organisations are required to submit their applications through the District Social Services Office in the area where their headquarters is located. The District Social Services Officer is responsible for making the initial assessment of the organisation after perusing the submitted application and interviewing the applicants. The application is then forwarded to the Head Office through the Provincial Social Services Officer with the following documents for consideration by the Private Voluntary Organisations Board (PVO Board)—
(a) application Form PVO 1, Form PVO 2 and proof of advertisement;
(b) copies of the organisation's constitution;
(c) curriculum vitae of the members of the executive committee;
(d) proof of notification to local authorities of intent to register;
(e) police criminal clearance certificates.

3. International Organisations
All international organisations applying for registration as Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) should have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government ministries relevant to their area of technical operations. The signed MOU is submitted to the Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations (Registrar) Head Office, together with the following details—
(a) curriculum vitae and Interpol clearance certificate for the country representative. Interpol clearance is required where the country representative is of foreign origin, but local police clearance suffices where the representative is a citizen or permanent resident of Zimbabwe;
(b) proposed area of geographic coverage;
(c) period of financial year e.g. 1 January to 31 December, 1 July to 30 June.

4. Memorandum of Understanding
International Organisations—
(a) agreements entered into with international Non-Governmental Organisations define the operational parameters of the organisations' partnership with technical supervisory ministries;
(b) the proposed geographic areas to be covered by the organisations should be clearly stated in the MOU. It constitutes part of what line ministries agree with the organisations. Where there is need for organisations to expand geographic coverage after an agreement has been entered into, operational arrangements shall be made with the concerned local authorities with the consent and facilitation of the ministries;
(c) organisations are required to notify host local authorities in the area of operations prior to commencing operations;
(d) organisations, however, shall not digress into programmes that are not specified in the MOU as agreed upon by line ministries and registered by the Registrar.

5. Local Organisations
Local PVOs are not required to enter into Agreements with central government or ministries. For operational purposes, however, the organisations shall, prior to their registration, notify the local authorities of their intended operations.

6. Appeals to the Minister
(a) Both local and international organisations whose applications are not recommended for registration by the PVO Board are entitled to lodge an appeal to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare (the Minister) in instances where they are not in agreement with the reasons for their rejection as given by the PVO Board.
(b) The Minister reserves the right, after considering the reasons for the organisation's appeal, to either uphold the Board's decision or instruct the Registrar to register the appellant.

7. Supervision by Registering Authority
(a) The Registrar registers all PVOs to enable both the supervision of the developmental impact of programmes under implementation and the monitoring of organisations' corporate governance.
(b) The monitoring of organisations involves field visits by Social Services Officers to project areas, and the analysis of submitted annual narrative reports and audited financial statements which are a mandatory requirement in terms of the Act.
(c) Organisations are required to operate within the confines of the provisions of the Act, and the relevant policy guidelines for particular programmes. The Registrar in consultation with the PVO Board, may cancel the registration certificate and deregister any PVO that fails to comply with its conditions of registration.

L. MUSEKA,
Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare

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