6DIHW\DQGVHFXULW\ILUVW The brutal killing of Tanzanian journalist, Daudi Mwangosi, in September 2012 was a very tragic reminder of the threats that exist within the SADC region and suffered by many journalists on a daily basis. The prominent journalist died in the line of duty, on 2 September, while covering clashes between the police and members of Tanzania’s largest opposition political party, Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema). The incident occurred in the southern highlands region of Iringa. Until his death, Mwangosi was correspondent for television station, Channel Ten and also served as the Chairperson of the Iringa Press Club. It is understood some members of the police surrounded Mwangosi, attempted to take his equipment away from him and despite his repeated insistence he was a journalist, was pushed to the ground, held down and in very inexplicable fashion, had a teargas canister fired at his stomach, brutally killing him instantly. Widespread condemnation of the cowardly act followed and although investigations were carried out and one person arrested and charged with Mwangosi’s murder, the fact remains that a journalist’s life was lost needlessly. The operating environment in Tanzania has rapidly deteriorated with other disturbing reports of media freedom violations coming through. A popular newspaper, MwanaHalisi, was banned at the end of July, allegedly for publishing seditious material. In August, the government of Tanzania defended its decision to ban the newspaper, insisting the newspaper would remain banned. Later in 2012, police shot at a journalist, apparently in a case of mistaken identity. Early 2013, a journalist was found dead in a forest and a senior editor, Absalom Kibanda, was attacked just outside his Dar-es-Salaam home. He subsequently lost his left eye and sustained several injuries. We could not have foreseen these developments when we stated – in the 2011 report – that physical attacks on journalists were in decline and more subtle forms of attack and intimidation were at play. “As the strategies of beating journalists to a pulp,” we wrote, “kidnapping or killing them or bombing printing presses lose their appeal, the future of media repression will rely greatly on the threat of legal action against a journalist or media house. And, as long as media law reform agenda is held back, the more repressive governments will use outdated laws and the inherent colonial instruments of repression that come with such, to restrict media freedom and media growth in the region.” 0HGLD/DZ In the year under review, the media law reform project largely stalled throughout the region. The most significant development, perhaps, was the signing by president Joyce Banda, of the repeal of Section 46 of the Penal Code in Malawi, this has still to be gazetted The law previously allowed a cabinet minister to ban any publication deemed by that minister not to be in the public interest. Despite this, a raft of laws, most of which are remarkably outmoded, that threaten media freedom and freedom of expression still remain in the 6R7KLVLV'HPRFUDF\"