It has been noted that the existence of a hostile environment created by censorship is curtailing online freedoms. rarely provide critical coverage. To some extent, the private media serves the interests of the ruling party. However, content created by international news agencies is extensively consumed. In this regard, the government must repeal sedition laws to ensure free speech offline and online. As such, Angola needs to promote freedom of expression proactively. Insult and defamation are both criminal offences. For journalists who are accused of provocation, hate speech, defending fascist or racist beliefs, or spreading “fake news” — the chances of being charged with “abuse of press freedom” are rather high. There were dramatic changes after what was described as “a political earthquake that struck Angola on 24 August through the ballot box”, by the ISPI 90 in its analysis of the 2022 general elections. It is primarily government officials, who tend to file criminal defamation charges and lawsuits against journalists. An added risk for journalists, has been their exposure to physical violence in the course of their work, with numerous assaults documented in 2023. Although President João Lourenço was reelected for a second term in the contentious polls, with his ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party winning by a very narrow margin. In general journalists in the country encounter a number of direct threats to their safety and in recent years, there have been reports of office break-ins and physical intimidation. The MPLA managed to continue it’s five-decade hold on power, but lost the two-thirds majority it previously enjoyed in Parliament. While the rise of online media has been a major development, it has also been accompanied by online practices aimed at stifling voices, such as website and computer hacking. For the first time ever — the alliance led by the National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) won more votes than the ruling party in the capital Luanda. Furthermore, while Angola’s constitution guarantees freedom of expression, including for members of the press, there are numerous legal and administrative hurdles to media independence. This report seeks to provide a comprehensive analysis of the 2023 state of freedom of expression, exploring the interplay of constitutional safeguards, legal frameworks, and the evolving dynamics within Angola to illustrate how the press faced numerous attacks throughout the year. Legal framework on freedom of expression in Angola In several of the incidents, members of the public and security personnel were involved in cases of intimidation, physical and verbal assault, and arbitrary imprisonment of reporters. Millions of Angolans across the country lacked access to free, diversified, and unbiased information. Angola has made strides in recent years to establish a legal framework that upholds the principles of freedom of expression. This is because Angola is still the only Southern African country without community radio stations. The constitution of Angola, adopted in 2010 and reviewed in 2022, provides a foundation for the protection of this fundamental right. The country’s broadcasting regulations require local and community stations to pay licensing fees exceeding US$100,000. Article 44 explicitly recognises the right to freedom of expression, stating that every citizen has the right to freely express and disseminate their thoughts through words, images, or any other means. The lack of diversity is reinforced by the fact that the Angolan government owns the majority of the country’s media outlets, which generally report favourably about the government and STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA 2023 In addition to the constitutional provisions, Angola has enacted specific laws to safeguard 20