Misa Regional Preliminary Statement On Media Freedom, Digital Rights and Access to Information in the 2026 Zambia General Elections

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional has issued a sobering preliminary statement regarding media freedom, digital rights, and access to information in the wake of Zambia's 2026 general elections. While the regional watchdog formally acknowledged landmark legal reforms—such as the enactment of the long-awaited Access to Information (ATI) law and the historic repeal of criminal defamation of the president—it cautioned that these triumphs risk remaining mere paper victories. According to MISA, the intended democratic dividends have been systematically undermined by institutional silence, bureaucratic drag, and the concurrent application of restrictive provisions under alternative penal codes and cybersecurity legislation. Assessing the media landscape during the August 2026 electoral cycle, the report highlights a heavily skewed information environment. Despite constitutional guarantees and statutory provisions mandating equitable access to state broadcasters, public media outlets frequently faltered in their public service mandate, resulting in an uneven playing field that favored incumbent political interests. Private media organizations and independent journalists attempted to bridge the gap, yet many operated under an escalating climate of intimidation, self-censorship, and targeted judicial harassment. MISA specifically flagged instances where media workers faced legal threats and detentions under stringent cybercrime frameworks while attempting to execute their duties. Digital rights emerged as a critical battleground throughout the campaign, with online spaces serving as vital alternatives for resource-constrained opposition figures and civil society actors. However, this digital migration was met with what civil liberties advocates describe as the over-securitization of political speech. The deployment of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Acts introduced a profound chilling effect on online discourse. Furthermore, structural concerns regar