Media government/stakeholders’ relations During the year under review, several engagement meetings were held with key stakeholders that included among others, the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), parliamentarians and political parties in the context of the ongoing media legislative reforms agenda. These engagements and interactions were conducted through multi-stakeholder meetings, one-on-one lobby meetings or letters of enquiry on urgent issues of concern. On 19 May 2023, MISA Zimbabwe convened an all-stakeholders engagement meeting on the state of the media environment ahead of the 2023 elections. The government, through the then Deputy Minister of Information, Honourable Kindness Paradza, said the thorny issue of dual accreditation would be scrapped through the Electoral Amendment Bill. This would allow for unfettered coverage of elections by the media without the burden of being accredited by ZEC. The Deputy Minister said the government had also instructed ZBC to freely cover any Zimbabwean with anything to say about the elections, including the opposition. On 13 March 2023, the Centre for Innovation & Technology (CITE), a Bulawayo-based media house, reported that they had challenges covering the mobile voter registration blitz in Bulawayo because they were not accredited by ZEC. MISA Zimbabwe also received a similar concern from a Harare-based journalist who faced similar challenges while covering the voter registration exercise. This prompted MISA Zimbabwe National Director Dr Tabani Moyo to write to ZEC Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba on 14 March 2023 as a matter of urgency to seek clarification on the authenticity of these reports and concerns by the media. In his letter, Dr Moyo said the clarification sought would ensure that journalists can cover the registration exercise without hindrance, as provided for by Section 61 of the Constitution, which protects media freedom, and Section 62, which concerns the right to access to information. ZEC swiftly responded to the concerns raised, assuring journalists they have the right to cover the voter registration exercise without hindrance. On 16 March 2023, ZEC on X (Twitter) said: “The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) would like to advise the media that journalists who have a valid Zimbabwe Media Commission accreditation card can access mobile voter registration centres to cover the programme.” The major highlight of these engagements and stakeholder relations was the signing and 7