STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA REPORT 2021 26 COUNTRY REPORTS ANGOLA MEDIA FACES NEW CHALLENGES DESPITE EARLY PROMISE OF IMPROVEMENT facing intimidation. Upon assumption of power, Lourenço eased restrictions on the media and civil society that were commonplace during the longtime reign of his predecessor, Eduardo dos Santos. While the changes have been largely positive, there are still challenges that remain for freedom of expression and of the media in Angola. Violence against protestors and journalists is contributing to self-censorship and this has reinstated an environment of fear that in the past limited public discussion of governance issues. (1) By Andre Mussamo and Dércio Tsandzana INTRODUCTION T HE swearing in of a new president, João Lourenço, in Angola in 2017 promised much in terms of media freedoms. Despite the early promises, widespread violations of fundamental freedoms still persist. Most violations recorded are round freedom of association and freedom of expression, with journalists regularly Social media presents a new frontier that Angolans can use to express themselves, but information and communication technologies are prohibitively expensive for the majority of Angolans, partially due to a lack of competition in the ICT industry. Angola is ranked 106 out of 180 countries in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index, although it is noteworthy that no journalist was killed that year. LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK Freedom of expression and access to information have been enshrined in the Angolan Constitution since 1991, when the country abandoned the one-party regime to establish a multiparty system. Angolan President João Lourenço CREDIT: African Business Article 40 of the Constitution states that “everyone has the right to freely and publicly express and share opinions in words, images or by any other means”.