Nicholas Moyo, Secretary of the Ministry of Arts, Sports and Culture

CIVIC Society Organizations (CSOs) need enabling policies to thrive and collaborate effectively with government for development and collaboration on initiatives that address the urgent needs of Africa, the Secretary of the Ministry of Arts has said, of Sports and Culture, Nicholas Moyo.

Moyo made the remarks at the official opening of the African Philanthropy Network (APN) Assembly in Victoria Falls on Tuesday.

The APN Assembly, which brings together over two hundred African philanthropy and grant-making organizations from over (20) countries, takes place from November 4 to 8 in the resort town.

“This assembly provides us with a platform to explore innovative ideas and solutions that work best for our people – as Africans,” Moyo said.

“Our challenges, whether economic inequality, social injustice or environmental concerns, are interconnected. We must work together to confront these issues head on, prioritizing the most vulnerable among us.

“To achieve this, you need enabling policies and operating environments that African governments have committed to providing through the implementation of Agenda 263.”

Moyo’s remarks come as Zimbabwe’s Parliament just passed amendments to the Private Voluntary Organizations (PVO) Act establishing a new regulatory framework for CSOs in the country, a concern raised by Tendai Murisa, executive director of the Sivio Institute, one of the organizers of the assembly.

“Some organizations working in the civic space are at risk of closing if the bill becomes law. We hope that the new law will not affect philanthropic work in Zimbabwe, as these organizations only complement the government’s development agenda,” he said.

Stigma Tenga, executive director of the APN, said the objectives of the assembly are to examine the relationship between the policy and practice of philanthropy.

“Our deliberations will reflect on the potential of African philanthropy to drive systemic change and consider how stakeholders might work together to celebrate and appropriate indigenous practices as distinctly African and therefore relevant to reshaping future philanthropy, as well as reinventing practices for contemporary application,” she said. .

The APN 2024 Assembly takes place under the theme Collective freedom in the face of collective struggles.

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