Harare – Government ministers, development partners, and civil society leaders have issued a unified call for strengthened multi-stakeholder collaboration, as Zimbabwe’s non-governmental sector navigates funding constraints and a rapidly evolving regulatory environment.

Speaking at the opening of the NANGO 2026 Northern Region NGO Expo and Winter School at African Unity Square, Deputy Minister of Public Service Mercy Dinha urged civil society organisations, development partners, and the private sector to deepen coordination across thematic areas, leveraging shared resources and technology to sustain development work from the grassroots upward.

“We are encouraging each and every one of us to continue working together across thematic areas, leveraging, sharing whatever we have, and continue doing the work that you are doing, especially from the grassroots level,” Dinha said.

She noted that the current funding shifts and the push for localisation demand a unified response.

“We know this is talk about funding shifts. We know there’s this talk about the push for localization. And I’m glad that here we are reflecting that we are working to get the world and different partners here,” she said.

Dinha highlighted the EU-funded CS4Z Project, which currently coordinates 70 diversified partners, as a practical example of effective collaboration. “For us it has been a very interesting learning curve. We are actually seeing that you can leverage from the technological side of business to also push through the different work that you are doing, whether it is around women employment, whether it is around climate,” she said.

The Deputy Minister also underscored the importance of platforms like the expo in fostering networking and opportunity creation.

“We are grateful of platforms like this where we come together, where we learn from each other, where we network and create opportunities for us to continue doing the work that you are doing, to support each other and to work together,” she said.

The call was echoed by ActionAid Zimbabwe Country Director, who emphasized that people are not passive recipients of development but rights holders and agents of change. “Strong and inclusive civic spaces allow citizens, particularly women, young people, and other historically marginalised groups, to participate meaningfully in shaping the decisions that affect their lives,” she said.

World Vision Zimbabwe representative reinforced the message, urging organisations working in communities where the agency operates to reach out for collaboration.

“There’s no money around. There’s very little money. We cannot survive working in isolation,” he said, noting that World Vision works in 54 districts across all provinces.

European Union representative also addressed the gathering, commending NANGO for its leadership in convening stakeholders and stressing that civil society organisations are more than service providers.

“You are connectors between citizens and institutions,” she said. “You identify the needs on the ground and translate what the people need into what development partners, the private sector, and government need to decide on.”

She further acknowledged recent legislative changes, including the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Act, while encouraging continued dialogue between government and civil society on its implementation.

“Regulation works best when it’s predictable and implemented through dialogue with the regulated,” she said.

The expo, themed “Fortifying Inclusive Spaces and Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships to Maximise Development Impact,” takes place against a backdrop of declining donor funding, climate shocks, and economic pressures.

Speakers consistently stressed that no single institution has all the answers, and lasting solutions require collective effort grounded in trust, mutual respect, and shared accountability.