SECTOR 1 de Comunicação Social). There are frequent reports of “warning calls” from district leaders or ICS delegates, or even cases of arrests of some collaborators for maintaining collaboration with other national and international media. According to the panel, this is detrimental to the professional freedom of journalists. One example, extensively debated by the panel, of the difficulty in exercising the right to freedom of expression, was the journalistic reporting on the Secret Debts Case.3 The fear of repression leads to self-censorship of journalists which in turn affects the quality of the content being shared with the public; in addition, it results in the weakening of the role of the media as watchdogs and counterpowers in democratic systems. On the other hand, the panel also stated a growing distrust from citizens regarding state institutions, without exception. Outside the capital Maputo, mainly in areas where natural resources are being extracted (Temane in Inhambane, Moatize in Tete, Namanhumbir and Palma in Cabo Delgado), the situation is particularly serious. Despite it all, there are isolated groups at the community level that still protest against what they disagree with. In August 2018, peasants from Olinda, Inhassunge District, Zambézia Province, protested in disagreement with their own resettlement due to the discovery of valuable mineral resources on their land. In May 2018, a peasant community from a rural area in Matola District (Sigwava) walked to the authorities (the president’s office), protesting the death of a child by a stray bullet which originated from a military barrack somewhere in the heart of the village. Some panellists stated that many courts have a problematic relationship with freedom of expression which they do not defend as a fundamental right – although there are rare and honourable exceptions. They also stated that the role of public institutions (such as the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH – Comissão Nacional dos Direitos Humanos) and the Ombudsman) in the defence of fundamental human rights has not been demonstrated; the scope of which includes freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the right to information. 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: Score of previous years: 3 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓✓✓✓ ✓✓ 1.6 2005=3.0; 2007=2.9; 2009=3.0; 2011=2.6; 2014=2.4 The secret debts case referred to the borrowing of a US$2,2 billion loan with state guarantees by the government and without the consultation of parliament, which violates the constitution. 13 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER MOZAMBIQUE 2018