19 Feb Championing Press Freedom at the Southern Africa Media Summit 2025

At the inaugural Southern Africa Media Summit (SAMS2025), convened by Heart and Soul Broadcasting Services, the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) joined voices from across the region to spotlight the growing threats to press freedom and freedom of expression. The summit, themed “Strengthening Independent Journalism for Democracy and Nation Building,” provided a critical platform to reaffirm the role of media in advancing democracy, transparency, and human rights. Together delegates engaged in meaningful focused conversations on collaborative efforts to strengthen independent journalism, and promote accountability.

ZPP’s participation in the discussions, particularly in the Legal and Advocacy Working Committee highlighted the ongoing commitment to human rights accountability and journalist safety. Through the human rights monitoring reports, ZPP has documented recurring cases of harassment, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation of journalists,  signs of shrinking civic space and efforts to criminalise journalism in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe continues to record incidents of press freedom violations each year, underscoring the urgent need for stronger protections and reforms.

During the summit, ZPP, represented by Kudakwashe Matambo, the Communications and Advocacy Lead, contributed to discussions on developing a Regional Action Plan on Media Freedom, calling for rights-based legal frameworks, institutional accountability, and safeguards against online harassment and unlawful surveillance. The exhibition and interactions at SAMS2025 also created valuable opportunities for collaboration with regional partners at the Centre for Human Rights.

ZPP remains committed to promoting freedom of expression, responsible journalism, and democratic reform, essential pillars for building peaceful, informed, and inclusive communities across Zimbabwe and Southern Africa.