During the year under review, a total of 52 journalists and media workers (among them, newspaper vendors and media students), were either arrested, assaulted or harassed,while conducting their lawful professional duties. (Refer to media violations statistics table beneath for further details). The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Commissioner Jamesina King, wrote to President Emmerson Mnangagwa regarding the arrest and detention of journalist Hopewell Chin’ono. Speaking during the 67th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR, held virtually, Commissioner King said she wrote the letter to President Mnangagwa on 15 October 2020. “Journalists and other media practitioners play an important role … they provide the public with the necessary information to develop an opinion and make informed decisions,” Commissioner King said. “However, despite their indispensable role in society, journalists are often targets of threats, intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrest, detentions, and disappearances, in addition to physical attacks, which have sometimes resulted in murder.” Meanwhile, these violations resulted in MISA Zimbabwe successfully filing for a High Court order barring the police and any other state security agents from arresting, detaining or interfering with the work of journalists. In a related development, and back-to-back with that application, MISA Zimbabwe, filed yet another successful application with the High Court compelling the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, to promote citizens’ access to information pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic. Having to resort to court applications to enforce constitutionally guaranteed rights, therefore speaks volumes about the government’s sincerity in entrenching the pillars of democracy and commitment to uphold the rights to media freedom, freedom of expression and access to information as provided for by Sections 61 and 62 of the Constitution, let alone other rights in the Bill of Rights. Commendably, the Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill passed through the House of Assembly and the Senate, after protracted and robust debate by parliamentarians which culminated in concessions by the government to factor in the agreed positions during key stakeholder engagements. 7