This can be in the form of tax/duty exemptions and moratoriums (over a realistically determined period), on newsprint and other mass media production and distribution equipment. The government should also consider reducing the registration and licensing fees for media houses, as well as doing away with some of the punitive duplicitous levies and fees charged in terms of the country’s regulatory framework. These inhibitive fees are paid to the Zimbabwe Media Commission, Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe, Transmedia Corporation, Zimbabwe Music Rights Association and National Arts Council, over and above the taxes due to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority. A Revolving Fund which is administered independently can also be established in that regard. Arrests, threats and harassment of journalists Following the declaration of Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 Regulations on 30 March 2020, the country witnessed an upsurge in the number of journalists that were harrassed, intimidated, assaulted and detained by members of the police and the army while covering their lawful professional duties. The fact that we recorded media violations involving 25 journalists and media workers (newspaper vendors), during these first six months is frightening. Some of the notable cases involve the assault of freelance journalist, Terence Sipuma, who was reportedly assaulted by members of the army and the police at the Kuwadzana roundabout in Harare while on his way to Chegutu to report on the COVID-19 lockdown. Munashe Chokodza and Leopold Munhende, journalists with 263Chat and NewZimbabwe.com, respectively, were assaulted with military whips by soldiers at Warren Park shopping centre in Harare while returning home from work. When the journalists dropped off at the shopping centre, the army was apparently dispersing people from the shopping centre. They stopped the two and questioned them as to why they were not observing the lockdown regulations. Both Munhende and Chokodza produced their press cards and explained that they were coming from work, as they are part of the essential service workers. The soldiers apparently remarked: “You journalists think you are special in this country”, before ordering them to roll on the ground and assaulting them. They both sustained injuries in the process. In all these cases, the perpetrators, as has been the case over the years, have never been brought to account. It is with this in mind that MISA Zimbabwe, under the umbrella of the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ), riding on the universal 2020 theme: Journalism without Fear or Favour, 6