Due to a lack of funding and a structured Legal Defence Fund committee, MISA-Swaziland has not been able to actively aid journalists in litigation. However, MISA has issued alerts and official press releases to sensitize the public on rights violations. MISA-South Africa has gone through internal staff reformation and many programs, including the legal initiative, are at their infancy. With the aid of the Regional Secretariat, and the NGC, the South African Chapter has begun advocacy work on the abuse of media rights. In Tanzania, MISA compiled a detailed report on repressive media laws in the country. This helped to increase public awareness. Additionally, the Chapter fund raised over $5000 USD for its Media Legal Defence Fund to aid media practitioners facing litigation. With this money, MISA was able to fund medical costs of two journalists beaten by prison guards. MISA-Zimbabwe’s legal program has been active in defending journalists and bringing freedom of expression cases to the attention of the ACHPR. By the end of 2006, MISA had assisted thirteen journalists and media houses with legal representation and financial support. MISA, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, has challenged the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), at the ACHPR in Banjul, Gambia. MISA argued that AIPPA unconstitutionally violates media and freedom of expression rights. In its advocacy, our Zimbabwe Chapter managed to draw concessions from Zimbabwe’s government that current media laws are undemocratic. At the November 2006 ACHPR Session, the Zimbabwe government conceded that its laws needed reform. Government officials further promised to work with organizations like MISA-Zimbabwe on legislative and substantive change. MISA doubts the actualization of these lofty guarantees. However, as promises were made before the ACHPR, and they potentially have clout against the Zimbabwe government if it reneges on its undertakings. During the same year, MISA-Zimbabwe drafted a model Access to Information law. It will be used to challenge the AIPPA and the Public Order and Security Act. The draft Access to Information law was created through a consultative process that included media and human rights lawyers, journalists, and civil society representatives. The legal department at MISA-Zimbabwe continues to participate in activities that create awareness on the current media laws at media studies schools and media houses. In Zambia, the court case on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) boards continued to take centre stage. Thankfully, although not in our favour, the case was finally disposed off on March 15, 2007 in the Supreme Court. A week later a meeting to look at the way forward was held for all media held in Lusaka on March 24, 2007. The meeting among other things called on the Minister to decide quickly on the names that will be forwarded by the adhoc committees. MISA Zambia supported three media institutions during namely: (i) Radio Chikuni in a case where three reporters were arrested for announcing a meeting of villages to look into the mysterious death of a boy. After the MSA Zambia lawyer, Chairperson and National Director paid a visit to the Police station, the case seems to have died a natural death. (ii) Radio Maria in Chipata was provided a lawyer to defend the station in a case in which they were sued for 42 Annual Report 2006