Conclusion The drastic reduction in media freedom violations during Zimbabwe’s 2023 election cycle is a significant development. This positive development should spur the country to adopt and localise the United Nations Plan of Action (UNPA) on the Safety of Journalists into the country’s legislative frameworks. This will demonstrate the country’s commitment to stemming crimes against journalists taking into consideration that the focus of the 2023 International Day for Ending Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI) commemorations was on: Violence against journalists, the integrity of elections, and the role of public leadership. Ending or reducing crimes (media violations), is at the core of guaranteeing the exercise of freedom of expression and free flow of information for informed decisions and choices. In Zimbabwe’s case, the foundation for the role of public leadership in ending crimes against journalists was amply demonstrated in the pre-election and post-2023 election period through the implementation of the Police-Media Action Plan of December 2017. The Action Plan culminated in a meeting between representatives of media organisations led by MISA Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Republic Police in Harare on 20 December 2017. The meeting developed a raft of action plans to ensure a safe and conducive working environment for journalists. MISA Zimbabwe is of the firm view that the adoption and localisation of the United Nations Plan of Action (UNPA) on the Safety of Journalists as part of concrete efforts to end impunity of crimes against journalists, will be the clincher that will set Zimbabwe on the progressive path to the operations of a free and unhindered media. Way Forward in 2024 • The government should seriously consider Adopting and localising the United Nations Plan of Action (UNPA) on the Safety of Journalists into the country’s legislative frameworks as part of concrete efforts to end impunity for crimes against journalists. • The Zimbabwe Media Practitioners Bill should be crafted and guided by the unequivocal resolutions and affirmations of stakeholders in line with the form and nature of the guiding principles for co-regulation. • The Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill should be benchmarked and gazetted in line with the African Charter on Broadcasting through regulatory frameworks that secure the independence of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) as a public broadcaster while stimulating the growth and sustainability of the broadcasting industry as a whole. • 15 The government, the country’s constitutional Chapter 12 Independent Commissions,