F reedom of expression and of the press is a social asset, even before it is a right of media professionals and companies. Thus it requires constant mobilization, permanent vigilance and strong determination in the face of any assaults on its effectiveness. The defence of this freedom has contributed to the strengthening of democratic institutions in Mozambique. Right to information is a constitutional right in Mozambique. Therefore, defending the free press and fight against impunity for crimes committed against the media and their professionals ultimately works in favour of the society. It is noteworthy that since 1990, when the new Constitution, which introduced the multi-party regime, was adopted followed by the approval of the press law in 1991, 336 media – radios, television stations, newspapers, magazines, bulletins and other publications – have been registered. In theory, this data bears unequivocal witness to the encouragement that the democratic opening represented, or still represents, to the free exercise of the right to create news media and other publications, However, in my view, Mozambique still suffers from the collateral effects of the direct control of the Party (Frelimo) state over the media. Since the proclamation of Mozambican Independence, on 25 June 1975, the ruling party, Frelimo, has exercised a certain control over the public sector media. For example, the Government appoints the chairpersons of the boards of directors of the public radio station, Radio Mozambique, the only radio that broadcasts to the entire country, and of Mozambique Television (TVM), which is also publicly owned and whose signal can also be picked up in almost the entire country. This situation is not regarded favourably. It was something of a caricature that the name of the TVM chairperson figured on one of the lists of candidates for the Frelimo Central Committee at the Party’s Ninth Congress, held in the central city of Quelimane in late 2006. Furthermore, the development of professional journalism has not gone alongside the emergence of the mass media. Dozens of unemployed youngsters have joined the profession without any formal skills, much less any vocation. For them it is just a question of a job, and not the desire to be a journalist. This means that the so-called independent press cannot make headway in a country that is among the poorest in the world, where the advertising market is limited, good quality professionals are in short supply, access to commercial bank credit is on prohibitive terms, and even to obtain loans from the treasury a ruling party membership card is needed. Freedom in 2007: Attacks on newsrooms The mass media has made and continues to make remarkable contribution to the building of democracy in Mozambique, an epic task that began in 1990. However, in recent years there has been a notable increase in attacks against media. The media faced many obstacles in exercising their rights including armed attacks on certain media houses newsrooms. The weekly publication Magazine Independente (MI) was attacked by six armed men on July 22, 2007, who seriously injured one of the paper’s security guards and stole 12 computers. The assailants locked the journalists who were on the premises in the bathroom, although they did not harm them physically. Many Maputo analysts, including the paper’s director, journalist Salomão Moyana, believe this unusual attack was made to silence the publication. They expressed doubts that this was just a robbery. In my view, this violent act, although had the characteristics of a robbery, did indeed seek to just silence this independent publication. It was an attempt to also send a message to the rest So This Is Democracy? 2007 -54- Media Institute of Southern Africa