The challenges of democracy On May 3, 2008, Maputo hosted an international celebration of World Press Freedom Day. The President of Mozambique, Armando Guebuza, assured his political commitment and that of his government to respecting freedom of expression and freedom of the press. During 2008 the media in Mozambique faced a number of other challenges, such as suspicious break-ins and theft of computers from media houses. On July 20, Alternativa, one of Mozambique daily news organisations, lost equipment in an apparent robbery at the office. Such assaults against media companies occurred throughout the year, raising suspicion that there is more to this than mere burglaries. So far there is, however, no direct link or indication that these assaults were meant to silence the media. The coverage of the local elections was also an important event in 2008. Editors of different media organisations adopted a code of conduct for election coverage. The code espoused important principles, such as the need for independence, impartiality, objectivity and respect for human dignity. This is an indication of the maturity of media organisations and the media professionalism in Mozambique. The presence of the media on the ground made it possible for citizens to have a clear picture of what was happening. The opposition, however alleged, alleged fraud, which the media could not identify.. The way forward The status of the media in Mozambique is much the same as in previous years. However, more still needs to be done. Reform of the law governing access to information must be taken as a priority. There is also need for more training for the judiciary and media lawyers in order for legal cases concerning the media to be dealt within the ambit of internationally accepted principles. So This Is Democracy? 2008 -59- Media Institute of Southern Africa