STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA REPORT 2021 8 new websites to include a COVID-19 panel through which audiences could easily access this information. ECONOMIC IMPACT As the business and manufacturing sector in the Southern African region that were not classified as essential services slowed down or completely shut down, the ripple effect on the media industry was devastating. The most immediate challenge that was catapulted to the forefront, during global spread of the pandemic, was the issue of sustainability — a concern that is also emphasised in the Windhoek+30 Declaration, with a recommendation to ensure collective collaborative action is taken to address the “severe economic crisis, which is posing an existential threat to independent news media worldwide”. The point was reinforced by the shocking news of the closure, after 38 years, of Associated Media Publishing (AMP) — the largest independent South African media house — with its host of magazine titles. (9) In Zimbabwe, Alpha Media Holdings announced that it had temporarily stopped printing hard copies of its three major titles and would e-publish instead. Zimpapers, which houses numerous public media titles, laid off staff, as did Business Times and radio station ZiFM. (10) News Company Botswana admitted the pandemic related lockdown had a similar impact and made a similar declaration — its 36 year print publication the Botswana Gazette would now only be distributed online. JOURNALISTS SAFETY AND PROTECTION Media freedom, access to information and freedom of expression have been under renewed pressure in the last two years, with attacks on the media increasing in volume and frequency and the lack of investigations into these crimes is driving the rising culture of impunity. At the core of these attacks is the contestation over resources and political power. Where it was once easy to identify the source of attacks, this has now shifted as the media is being assaulted by both State and non-State actors. As an ispeak.Africa article on impunity explains — the settings in which journalists are particularly at risk are: (11) ● In rich resource States that fall into the category of failed States with flailing economies. This is especially so, where the State has tight control over those resources and government officials are benefiting from the sales of these resources; ● To the growing intolerance in the political sector with ruling parties brutally opposing views and opposition parties attacking the media for reporting their inadequacies. In Angola, the licences of three television channels, Zap Viva, Vida TV and TV Record Africa were suspended for operating under provisional registrations and not regularising their status. (13) The three media companies were taken by surprise as they allegedly did not receive prior information or notification of any administrative procedure against them. On 9 April 2020, Zambian authorities ordered the cancellation of independent television news channel Prime TV’s broadcasting licence. (14) The decision was made after the station allegedly refused to air the government’s COVID-19 public awareness campaigns because it was owed money for airing previous State-sponsored advertisements. ● In countries where the economy is in decline and there are subsequently high levels of corruption; (12) Journalists in Lesotho are concerned for their safety as the country heads to elections in September 2022, as there is a tendency by security agencies and political parties to unlawfully arrest, harass, assault and torture journalists. ● In countries where there is the lack of political will to carry out independent and thorough investigations into the death of journalists; In November 2021, a radio presenter at 357FM Lebese Molati, was detained and interrogated by the Pitso Ground and Maseru Central police. ● In countries where the security sector — the army and police become political captives and so crimes against the media are politicised and subsequently not investigated; This was in connection with his alleged reports at the private radio station, about “disappearance” of police guns and connecting the incident with a certain senior police officer. Molati reported how he was tortured and nearly suffocated to death during the police interrogation. ● When reporting peopledriven protests demanding democratic reforms in authoritarian States; and