❖ Conclusion The media-operating environment in 2019 was far from the ideal when measured against the government’s compliance with constitutional guarantees to media freedom, free expression and citizens’ right to access to information. This is despite pledges by the new government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to break with the past which was characterised by unlawful arrests, assaults and harassment of journalists conducting their constitutionally guaranteed professional duties. In 2019 we continued to witness cases involving the assaults or unlawful arrests of journalists that were perpetrated by the police– the very same agents that are supposed to protect journalists and the citizens in general. The State should therefore take the lead in fulfilling its constitutional obligations of guaranteeing the safety and security of journalists, media workers and other content creators as they exercise their right to media freedom and freedom of expression. This will go a long way in entrenching media freedom and citizens’ right to free expression and access to information as provided for by the country’s Constitution and other regional and international instruments that the country is party to. End ❖ Media Violations Statistics 2019 ASSAULTED Issue Date Costah Nkomo, Police assaulted the journalist while they were 9 January journalist with 263 Chat. rounding vendors in Harare’s central business 2019 Victim/Concerned Party district. Abigail Khupe and Lulu Abigail and Brenda were teargassed by the police Brenda, Bulawayo – 25 14 January