Lesotho of 2021 and Communications (SIM and Mobile Device) Registration of 2021. Operating Env ironment The COVID-19 outbreak took effect when MISA Lesotho was beginning to find its feet and the organisation’s rebuilding efforts were gaining momentum. In mid-2020, MISA Lesotho had no grants to sustain its programmes, but then it secured two projects from UNICEF and ARISA, which saved the Institute from collapse. But with COVID-19 gradually intensifying in 2020, the situation affected the organisation’s activities with stay-at-home orders making it impossible to implement the projects. It has proved difficult for MISA Lesotho to recover from effects of the pandemic, even after the institute launched the Media Relief Fund in 2021, the financial situation kept worsening. MISA Lesotho staffers went for months without salaries as there is no consistent funder to support everyday operations. MISA Lesotho also operates in a politically-polarised society, a society torn by political divisions engineered by political leaders for their own self-aggrandisement. However, against the background of the mentioned challenges, MISA Lesotho continues to perform to the required standards. Challenges: 1. Finance: MISA Lesotho continues to operate without a consistent funder that supports institutional capacity building and sustainability of operations. 2. Capacity: Because of lack of financial resources, MISA Lesotho finds itself having to operate with under-qualified staff – in this case, interns – to meet its mandate. 3. Small grants and short-term projects: Because of these capacity issues, MISA Lesotho seems to only attract short term projects with minimal funding. Successes: ● Between 2019 and 2022, MISA Lesotho has increased its staff from as little as three staffers to now around 10 members, with a few of them fairly competent to perform the organisation’s functions, thanks to the government’s initiative on youth apprenticeship. ● MISA Lesotho submitted a position paper on media reforms, which was successfully adopted by stakeholders in the national multi-sector reforms. Media is identified as one thematic area for reform. ● Having advocated and lobbied for a Media Policy in Lesotho for more than two decades, MISA Lesotho is finally celebrating the adoption by Parliament and Cabinet of the National Media Policy of 2021, as well as the Media Code of Conduct, Behaviour and Practice of 2021. Malawi Operating Env ironment In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt activities. However, through experience from 2020, MISA Malawi managed to negotiate the sharp corners that the pandemic hasd created and implemented most of its planned activities. While some of the activities were planned and implemented online, some were implemented physically. Several developments happened in MISA Malawi’s areas of focus: media freedom, freedom of expression, access to information, journalism education and digital rights. Challenges The media operating environment was difficult in 2021, as attacks on journalists were perpetrated by people and institutions with a constitutional mandate to protect Malawians and enforce laws – police officers. All cases of physical attacks on journalists in the year were perpetrated by police officers, a very worrying departure from 2020. In 2020, only two violation cases involved police officers. ● MISA Lesotho has doubled its membership base in a period of one year. The membership, mostly media practitioners, including media houses, now stands at over 150. In 2021, police officers physically attacked three journalists and arrested and questioned two journalists in the process of gathering information over published articles. One was arrested for allegedly publishing offensive communication. As has been the case, no officer was disciplined or prosecuted despite the Inspector General of Police promising to look into the matter and bring perpetrators to book. The impunity persists and perpetrators of the attacks on journalists remain scot-free. ● Through strategic advocacy, MISA Lesotho has managed to push back repressive laws against media freedom. MISA Lesotho pushed back on the Computer Crime and Cybersecurity Bill MISA Malawi also received reports of media censorship, which is a threat to media freedom and independence. The year under review also saw the State curtailing freedom of assembly by arresting unarmed and MISA Regional 2021 Annual 2021 Report 12