Senior Assistant Commissioner Charamba, said on their part, the police would be guided by the resolutions of the meeting towards ensuring pledges committed to come to fruition. She said the meeting marks a “new note” in shaping professional relations and the way forward between the two parties. She said the new era as stated by President Mnangagwa, would see a change of approach in the way the police conducts its business right down to the last person on the ground. Chinaka stressed the need for continued dialogue to improve relations and ensuring the media also appreciates and understands the role of the police in a modern state. “We do pledge to continue working with you and finding solutions in areas where there are difficulties,” he said. The September 2016 meeting came on the backdrop of assaults of journalists during the course of their duties, confiscation of cameras and deletion of video clips by the police, thereby souring relations between the two parties. It was also noted then, that journalists should be professional in their conduct and report the good work of the police as opposed to writing negative things only. Access to Information/Freedom of Expression While Section 62 of the Constitution provides for the right to access to information and urges the enactment of the requisite law to give effect to the enjoyment of this right, the widely discredited AIPPA remained firmly entrenched in the statutes. In fact, the government demonstrated its determination to close the democratic space through a spew of threats to clamp down on, among other repressive measures, social media and those who abuse it. This came at a time of acceleration of its intention to enact the Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill culminating in the establishment of the responsible ministry late in 2017 – Ministry of Cybercrimes, Threat Detection and Mitigation. The ministry’s lifespan was short lived as its responsibilities were later incorporated into that of ICTs upon President Mnangagwa’s ascension to power. In a press statement issued on 24 September 2017, then Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Ignatius Chombo, made clear government’s intentions in that regard. 8