SECTOR 1

law for the deinition of that body’s organization, its composition, operation and
other competencies. Such a law has never been approved.

Scores:
Individual scores:
1

Country does not meet indicator

2

Country meets only a few aspects of indicator

3

Country meets some aspects of indicator

4

Country meets most aspects of indicator

5

Country meets all aspects of the indicator

Average Score:

3.1 (2005 = 2.6; 2007 = 4.7; 2009 = 3.6)

1.2
The right to freedom of expression is practised
and citizens, including journalists, are asserting their
rights without fear.
Participants felt that despite a legal framework that guarantees the right to
freedom of expression, this right is sometimes constrained by apprehension and
fear among both citizens and journalists. Some participants felt that this is due to
insecurity or ignorance of their rights, while others felt that fear usually relects an
institutional culture. In this respect, reference was made to the May 2010 debate in
the National Assembly (Parliament) on whether or not there were Frelimo Party
cells in public institutions that were discouraging freedom
of expression in the civil service, as critical opinions could
negatively inluence the employment situation of those who
TVM’s position
expressed them.

was ...“a

With regards to freedom of expression among journalists,
denial of the
participants critically analysed the biased media reports on
people’s
right to
the September 2010 demonstrations against the high cost
information”
of living in Maputo and Matola. In particular, participants
were critical of the position taken by Televisão de
Moçambique (TVM), which, they said, ignored the event
for several hours while other television and radio stations
were informing the public about the climate of unrest and insecurity that had
gripped the two cities. TVM’s position was considered “a denial of the people’s
right to information”, guaranteed by the Constitution and by law. his was used
as an example to demonstrate that self-censorship among journalists is due

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER MOZAMBIQUE 2011

79

Select target paragraph3