Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition Shuts Down After 25 Years, Says This Is Not Defeat

Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition Shuts Down After 25 Years Of Operating

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC), a long-standing alliance of civil society organisations formed in 2001 to campaign for democracy, human rights and constitutional governance, has announced the shutdown of its organisational structure after 25 years of operating. The decision was taken at the Coalition’s 16th Annual General Meeting held on 21 January 2026, with members stressing that the move should not be interpreted as defeat but as a strategic repositioning in an increasingly restrictive political environment.

CiZC is not a single organisation but a broad platform that brought together churches, labour unions, women’s movements, youth groups and governance-focused civic organisations. For more than two decades, it coordinated advocacy, mass civic action and regional engagement around Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis.

In a statement issued after the AGM, the Coalition said the meeting was convened in line with its constitution, with three-quarters of its membership participating, and took place at what it described as a critical moment for the country.

“This AGM was held at an exceptionally critical moment for Zimbabwe, farmers, workers, women, youth, business, the pro-democracy movement and the nation as a whole,” the Coalition said.

“The gains of 18 April 1980 — freedom, democracy and prosperity — are under sustained attack.”

A Coalition Forged In Crisis

Reflecting on its origins, CiZC said it was established in 2001 in response to what it described as democratic regression and deepening socio-economic decline.

Outgoing spokesperson Marvellous Kumalo said the AGM reviewed the Coalition’s role in key civic interventions over the years.

“The Coalition was instrumental in major civic initiatives, including the Save Zimbabwe Campaign, which contributed to the political pressure that led to the Government of National Unity,” Kumalo said.

CiZC said it consistently mobilised citizens around constitutional reform and accountability, while engaging regional platforms, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to draw attention to Zimbabwe’s governance challenges.

However, members also acknowledged that the Coalition had operated under sustained pressure since its formation.

“Since 2001, we have functioned under shrinking democratic space, repression and the weaponisation of the law,” the statement read.

Repression, Laws And Economic Strain

The AGM pointed to the enactment and enforcement of laws such as the Private Voluntary Organisations Act, which members said had curtailed civic space and criminalised legitimate civil society work.

The statement also criticised Statutory Instrument 156 of 2023, which removed parliamentary oversight over the Mutapa Investment Fund, a state entity estimated to be worth about US$16 billion (approximately R304 billion).

“Citizens are the greatest losers,” the Coalition said.
“This is reflected in the collapse of public transport, education, health and welfare services.”

Members said civic organisations had endured surveillance, arrests, meeting bans and harassment, which they described as efforts to silence dissent and weaken accountability.

The AGM also raised concern over falling living standards, with workers earning as little as US$100 a month (about R1,900) facing heavy taxation, while elite wealth transfers remained largely untouched.

‘Not Defeat, But Repositioning’

Despite announcing the dissolution of its current organisational structure with immediate effect, CiZC insisted the struggle it represents continues.

“This decision does not represent defeat,” the Coalition said.
“It is a deliberate, strategic repositioning aimed at safeguarding the continuity, relevance and effectiveness of the people’s aspirations.”

The statement added that unresolved historical injustices, including Gukurahundi, remained a national wound that had not been meaningfully addressed.

“The defence of the Constitution has become an urgent national duty,” Kumalo said.
“The struggle for democracy, justice and prosperity in Zimbabwe continues.”