Friday, March 29, 2024

ZICTA directs all mobile operators to start SIM card registrations

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The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority -ZICTA- has directed all mobile cell phone subscribers to start registering Mobile Subscriber Identity Module -SIM- cards.

ZICTA Public Relations Officer Chisha Malunda says the directive is with immediate.

A deadline will be announced later and after which all SIM cards that will not be registered will be deactivated.

Ms Malunda says the directive is in line with ZICTA’s compliance with the Information Communication Technologies (ICT) law of 2009 and the Statutory Instrument on the Registration of Electronic Communication Apparatus No. 65 of 2011.

She says in a statement to ZNBC News that the registration will apply to each network SIM Card on pre-paid, post paid platforms and existing individual and corporate subscribers.

Ms Malunda says the Registration process will be administered by each Mobile Service Provider.

She says the details to be submitted will include Full name, National Registration Card Number, Driving license (for Zambian subscribers), passport or work-permit number (for Non Zambia Subscribers), Physical address.

65 COMMENTS

  1. This is unacceptable in this day and age. Do these authorities really think before making such directives? All this is politically motivated. This is the first time am hearing of a country where mobile service subscribers are compelled to register there SIM cards,i don’t think this is right,i hope all this data the mobile phone service operators will gather won’t be misused. This is sad for democracy!

    • Woman in red,i live in the UK,we don’t have such,we only register contract sims not pre-paid ones,personally i have about 4 prepaid sim cards which i use at my leisure for business and for personal issues. There is definately something wrong with this directive and it will be the govt at loss as mobile service providers will lose business when millions of sim cards are deactivated,some of these companies will shut down or lose revenue and that means less tax to be paid to govt. By the way,there are people in rural areas who have been given phones by their people in urban areas,some of these villagers have no ID or proof of address whatsoever,how will they register their sim cards in rural areas especially those who prefer not to travel?

    • JIGGA  even those in rural areas must have an NRC so that should not be a problem. In Australia whether you like it or not the sim card MUST be registered(which includes the very details they are asking for in the above) unless you don’t want to have a line then one should not buy. I think its a good thing. In Australia they say that the government wants to know who is talking to who and in fact its good for National Security. I support the move all the way, its high time they did it. Its good democracy if western countries are doing it and seen as good democracy, then it should also be good democracy for Zambia. Democracy doesn’t mean being free to do everything, it has limits too.

    • By the way JIGGA in Australia even when you save the number into your sim card it is registered in their (the service provider’s)system including the persons name (that is details you save on it) as well as also all text messages sent and recieved. NO PRIVACY. on the brighter side When you loose your sim card you can get a sim replacement and you have all the numbers as well as all your text messages. I have done it before. Everything has pros and cons.

    • Trigo,yes there are benefits of registering sim cards but why should i give airtel my NRC/passport numbers etc,all they have to know is my name and address.
      I don’t think authorities in zed even have the capacity to know if an address supplied by a subscriber is valid or not so even if people are asked to take bills etc as proof of address they can still give fake details or even forge documents so the govt’s efforts will be futile.

    • my friend here in China everyone who has a phone and sim card must be registered, even if you save a name in your phone its also saved in their savers, if you lose your sim you can go get it back with all the details including text messages you send and received…..this is a good move. in Zambia people just call others and insult just cos they know that tracking them wont be easy, well, this will no longer be the case. its also important for national security.

    • JIGGA: This is a good move. In Japan sim registration is compulsory. This move is long overdue in Zambia as it will provide some form of security.

    • Inn India too, you have to register your sim irrespective of it is use. In RSA too. So nothing political. People buy sim cars, commit fruad/crimes on cell phones with no trace. Long overdue

    • This is nothing strange! It is in fact long overdue! It is done in East Africa, and a lot of other countries! I personally support it. To curb abuse!

      Country men & women, we should now be careful who is using our phone. Someone may use your phone to commit atrocities, and you will be caught and charged! We should guard our phones against misuse by other people! Free advice!!!!

    • In some countries you only buy simcards at very specific places where they do the full registration. This is standard.

  2. As this might be good, i hope our CNP-PF dictators will not be tracking our conversations and arrest us from our homes for not being on their side. 

    • Just watch out! Any nasty conversations will be brought to book! Some of you, the way you talk boggles me! And you claim yourself as being in a Christian nation? Do not misuse Christ’s name! This name is Holy and deserves all the respect!

  3. Uganda,Kenya and Tanzania?is there real democracy in those nations Mr Lloyd Matakala? SIM card registration only makes sense for contract mobile phones where a subscriber goes into a contract with the service provider to have a certain number of minutes and text messages per month and the cost is fixed or the costs of calls and text messages are calculated and a bill is sent to the subscriber monthly or the total due is payable by direct debit.
    The mobile phone service providers will definately lose business,there are so many issues that have probably not been looked at,it means kids will not have mobile phones as they cannot register without the ID’s required etc plus those with no fixed abode how will they register? There so many issues that have been overlooked,this may not work.

    • Jigga, you are missing the point. Criminal elements creep in and use unresgistered sims. The wolrd is not the same after 9/11

  4. In RSA that has been done, called RICA. So there are other countries, only need to be managed well. Only criminals should worry, and also if those managing tge process do not understand the risks of this data in wrong hands.

  5. Those against the idea have never been victims of abuse using SIM; I certainly support the idea because I have experienced very stupid abuse by someone I couldnt identify. Great idea, brign sanity to Zambia.

  6. This is a great idea!. This will ensure proper use of phones as I know  some people who have in the past received insulting text messages from  unknown people, and it’s been impossible to trace them. Others have had marriages destroyed by people who sent lurid messages to their spouses, making it difficult for victims to defend themselves, because, source of message could not be established.  In all the civilized countries,  mobile phone service providers have registered all the phones in use.  This helps fight and prevent criminal activities that can be committed using phones. So #1 and #9, I would advise you to see this in this light, and not what you are thing. It’s good for Zambia. It’s long overdue.

    • Mr Ngosa, All those small issues such as insults received by text are nothing compared to the repercussions of effecting this directive.Think beyond insults,think freedom and all. Think about the security of the data these companies will hold about people and what the state will do it especially against opposition politicians.
      By the way i live in the UK,it’s not compulsory to register sims,we users have the right to either register or not and to the state it doesn’t matter whether you’re registered or not,they can still locate you using your phone. We only register in order to benefit from offers from the mobile service providers ie for free calls,texts etc or when you have a technical problem. All the same,good luck to Zambians at home,hope this will be more beneficial for them

  7. I support it all the way. By the way every time when i am home and i get my old number  they always register mine in the system. 

  8. @jigga please, let progressive Zambians move foward. You are holding us. Learn not to politize every little thing .Time to rule cattle will come. Lekeni Sata ateke. Shaa..

  9. At least not in the UK where I live. This is going to fail all the same and it is a cost to business which they will pass on to the consumer. Watch the inflation rate. What happens if a phone is stolen and used by crimanals? Watch out you will all be jailed for frivolous reasons only GBM and Sakeni will survive since they are the ones ploting evil against all citizens

  10. What an utter sheer waste of time likely to benefit the SIM card providers more, this gov’t should stop listening to these companies.  

  11. The intention to do this was announced by ZICTA about a year ago. For kid subscribers, they will use their parent’s or guardian details. I don’t know wether the whole is good or bad. In religion, some say in the last days, no one shall sell or buy or do anything unless they have the mark of the beast; 666. Could this be part of the scheme? Next, cashless society. Just cards or electronic chips under your skins to contain all data including your accounts.

  12. Just becoz it is done in PARANOID COUNTRIES WHO HAVE REASON TO FEAR, shouldn’t mean we should also embrace this state intrusion into our privacy. The LEVENSON INQUIRY in the UK is all based on this becoz CONTRACT SIMS are stored on databases, peoples numbers have been leaked to professional hackers, leading to the FALL OF THE SUN NEWSPAPER. UK has lived through both 9/11 & 7/7 & THEY STILL SELL PREPAID SIMS WITHOUT OBTAINING ONES DETAILS. We should learn to think through policies instead of just copying!! Zed has developed ROBUST PRIVACY LAWS for this to be instituted safely! I fear for political foes who will be targeted by parties in govt!!!! A perfect example is the STU.PID “UPND SEDITIOUS MATERIAL” that they have failed to find, hence devising new ways to get them!

  13. POLICE & INTELLIGENCE can still EAVESDROP without having our numbers registered if they were sharp enough!
    As someone has rightly mentioned, CROOKS & THIEVES, now knowing that this is one way of tracking them, will change their modus operandi, WILL NOW TARGET STEALING PHONES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING SIMS to be one step ahead. Use it before it is shut down & get rid of it thereafter!

  14. One of the reasons for this measure is to protect the country. Remember what happened at the American embassies some years ago in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam? Terrorists were traced because of sim registration.

  15. ZICTA should have first solved the problem of poor services people are getting from these service providers especially Airtel.

  16. This shows how recent most Zambians are to mobile phones. When these phones started in this country you needed an NRC to buy a sim at Telecel & Celtel. Zamtel was still analogue. This also shows how many criminals, womanizers, thieves we have among ourselves. What is the problem with just registering your SIM? Let me spell it out for you, the gorvernment is not interested in you. They did not break into Nevers Mumbas house or plant anything at UPND.

  17. but zambian pipo are back wards,Travel the world and see how other countries are,everytime you getting a sim you need to buy with your identity card or passport.this Is for your own good because you be able to track pipo who have abused you on the phone or also good for the country’s security .don’t be so dumb zambia,you embarrass us who are representing you in developed countries please i beg.

  18. This is a good movr but people should realize that the SIM cards come differently. Are we going to register all SIM cards including those that are meant for Call Back, Bulk Texting and Data Only? ZICTA should work with the Service providers and come up with a better strategy. The move is good for security reasons and some of this information should already be there. There are people that come to Zambia for meetings and would like to get such quick prepaid SIM parks. Are they going to wait until the application is approved and cannot talk to their families or work colleagues. I know RSA is doing this for some now and the reasons there is the Crime rate. I know easy SIM card buying has been abused by some sectors of our society.

  19. @JIGGA….you need exposure my dear….travel and you will realise that is is being done everywhere…for your own information… in most asian countries an expartriate has to get a recommendation letter from work to buy a sim card….. all this is for security reasons. you shall not freely commit crime on your cell phone now….I know you are used to buying a sim card…do some deals and throw it away….

  20. #1 B Jigga

    If you not sure of what you saying please keep quiet don’t expose your ignorance. It’s only in Zambia and similar underdeveloped countries where non-registration exists.

  21. at least I can talk about where I have been, In India, RSA, you are required to submit your genuine details before you can get a sim obver any counter. its good for the Nation. ITS TRUE ONLY CRIMINALS will complain. good move.

  22. Number 9, i have been to Beijing and they do not register any details when you buy a sim card or connect with some network so please check your facts before making *****ic comments. Registration is necessary for your own security and that of the Nation. It also makes accountability easier.

  23. This is not new when i got my sim from zamcel i had to fill in forms with my particulars andi thought it was the norm.

    • It was the norm until the Americans advised the MMD that such information can be misused in a young democracy or a country been ruled by a tyrant. It’s the same reason that the MMD government reduced the nikuvu contract to only producing the voter’s roll from that of instituting a full vital registration system as applied in Israel and the US.

  24. I support Jigga. Just becoz this works where you live doesn’t mean it is a good idea back home. You gat no idea about the undertones of this rule. People living in Zambia know why the PF have decided to effect this. Patriotic civil servants used disposable sims to pass on useful information about the MMD government. The PF used the infor to be an effective opposition party, and to thwart rigging. It is through such that the Post newspapers claimed to dig deeper. Civil servants fed the Post data using unregistered sims to avoid victimization. And now that the PF are becoming unpopular, their misdeeds are been exposed through the same route. Knowing it too well, they thwart it. People living abroad, understand that the democracy in Zambia is different and very fragile…easily manipulated.

  25. I support Jigga. Just becoz this works where you live doesn’t mean it is a good idea back home. You gat no idea about the undertones of this rule. People living in Zambia know why the PF have decided to effect this. Patriotic civil servants used disposable sims to pass on useful information about the MMD government that made the PF an effective opposition party, and helped the PF to thwart rigging. It is through such that the Post newspapers claimed to dig deeper. Civil servants fed the Post data using unregistered sims to avoid victimization. And now that the PF are becoming unpopular, their misdeeds are been exposed through the same route. Knowing it too well, they thwart it. People living abroad, understand that the democracy in Zambia is different and very fragile, easily manipulated.

  26. Criminals can steal your phone/sim, do their thing and toss it. Spamers can also do the same; send lured smses to someone’s wife and toss it.

  27. It’s never gonna work per Zed. Nchekelako rules 100%, I will get a pre-paid SIM without registration anytime!

  28. Well done and its not new. You people who are afraid of your own shadow ask your friends who have codes 0977 and 0966 they will tell you. These are first codes more than 12 yrs.

  29. Great! We shall know the mobile numbers of our President, ministers MPs, our judges and the Police Top Brass! We shall also know the hidden numbers of Zamtel, Airtrl and MTN Managing Directors….

    Can MTN, Airtel, Zamtel now stop the Unknown or Private caller ID.

  30. Dictatorship at its pick.the king cobra at it again.it wil not succeed….digitlization by 2015 will come….Zimbabwe is doing it and it has not helped them….

  31. These replicas are sold in the Christian Louboutin outlet to which means that you can be assured about the quality aspect

  32. comparing this country to another wont help @all.first sort out yo issues internally b4 jumping to other things.you are all talking of security of the country,which security?security enforcements we have in zambia wait 4pipo to tek info to them instead of going out and dig t.everytym pipo register,the so kod intelligent officers collect these sim info and wat dey do wth them i dnt know.the issue here isnt security..talking of tracing insults,marriage interference..if ths country is concerned and care 4ts citezens,y was the clause that protect marriage interference removed by the mmd and pf is comfortable wth t?these are the one going to swindle pipo the pension.zicta,u wud ve carried a survey b4 implementing.

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