constant duress, emphasising the challenges of navigating daily life amidst such intimidation. infringements on press freedom. Access to information On November 24, while the president of the Constitutional Council (CC), Lúcia Ribeiro, was presenting a judgment number (61/CC/2023), in relation to the validation of the results of the 2023 municipal elections, an armoured car of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) was parked at the entrance of the facilities where TV Sucesso operates. Although Mozambique has a specific law on freedom of information, access remains one of the main concerns of journalists in the country. Almost 10 years after the enactment of law nº 34/2014, of 31 December (Access to Information Law), the culture of withholding public information continues to be the main challenge in the country. It was perceived as a clear threat to a television station providing impartial coverage of the 2023 electoral process. For instance, journalists and citizens are battling to report impactfully on the Cabo Delgado conflict, because the government continues hiding information and instead harasses journalists that are finding ways to investigate and report on events and their impact on the violence and impact of this in the northern region of the country. There were numerous incidents of violations outside of the electoral process which impacted on the media sector through the year. Journalists got caught up in the fray as police officers fired teargas and rubber bullets at a crowd of people planning to take part in a march commemorating musician Azagaia — a rapper vocal in his criticism of the government. In a separate incident in September, Alfredo Júnior, a journalist from the sports website LanceMZ, was attacked by the presidential guard at Zimpeto National Stadium. A practice that is becoming common amongst government institutions is to organise press conferences where certain information is provided, but after which journalists are not given the opportunity to ask questions, which is a shrewd way of avoiding sensitive questions. During an interview with the head of state after a football match that saw the national team advance to the African Cup of Nations 2024, Alfredo Júnior was forcefully removed from the scene by Military House security guards, leaving fellow journalists in shock. A case that comes to mind is that of the press conference called by the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH) on 23 January last year, to provide information on preparations for the start of the 2023 school year. Júnior recounted the ordeal: “What happened was that after asking a harmless question to the president, who was already responding, I was violently dragged away by the security guards. Despite my protests, they ignored me and disregarded the president’s presence.” At the time, the MINEDH was under fire for their chaotic acquisition and provision of school books. In a clear attempt to restrict the conversation, Feliciano Mahalambe, the MINEDH spokesperson informed the journalists present that they would not be permitted to pose questions outside the scope of preparations for the new school year. During a press conference on March 21, which occurred three days subsequent to one of the nation’s largest demonstrations wherein citizens paid homage to Azagaia, a musician known for his critique of Frelimo’s governance, Fernando Tsucana, the deputy commander general of the PRM, delivered an intimidating address to the media. When journalists objected to these conditions,, the spokesperson called them “unethical”. (8) Although the Ministry of Education and Human Development replaced the spokesperson — this incident provides a good example of how journalists are viewed and treated by public servants. He rationalised the violent suppression of unarmed citizens, who sought to convey their esteem for Azagaia’s accomplishments, by alleging evidence of a “coup d’état” purportedly incited by the press and civil society organisations. It is important to note that the country’s access to information legal and policy framework is based on international frameworks and good practices which Mozambique embraces, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, (2019). These instances represent merely a fraction of the 28 cases recorded in 2023 concerning STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA 2023 58