The Southern African Centre for Survivors of Torture (SACST), formerly known as the Zimbabwe Torture Victims Project (ZTVP), was established in February 2005 and was managed by IDASA. The ZTVP's mandate was to provide medical, psychological and legal services to primary survivors of organized violence and torture (OVT) perpetrated in Zimbabwe from the year 2000 to date. In December 2006 the ZTVP became a partner project of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) until September 2007.

The SACST became an independent Section 21 Company in October 2007 and its founding objective was to facilitate access to a range of services that theoretically should be provided by the state to those seeking asylum from persecution. Its mandate has since expanded to respond to the needs of tortured asylum seekers and refugees in Southern Africa, including survivors of gross human rights violations.