As the Zambia National Students Union (ZANASU), the students unions’ mother-body in zambia, we wish to comment strongly on the voice byte circulating on social media where Hon. Chishimba Kambwili’ and Kitwe District Commissioner Chanda Kabwe’s conversation was illegally tapped into by unknown persons. We feel this has not received the necessary attention it deserved from investigative wings of government and must be condemned strongly.
Phone tapping is illegal because it infringes on the rights of privacy of private citizens and even more so a cabinet minister’s phone being tapped. We understand that cabinet ministers are under oath and whatever is discussed in cabinet is secret and privileged information and disclosing such is treasonable, hence tapping into their phones must be equally treasonable. This is very dangerous and criminal to the say the least, and it has left the majority Zambians wondering what sort of security and safety there is in our society. From which ever angle the tapping was done whether by security wings or just by people it must be stopped and those involved charged.
This is wrong and what type of country are we living in, where ones private conversation is not safe. There is no safety, even for business, because even banking transactions are now going mobile. The world is becoming mobile phone friendly for all sorts of transactions and yet we have no protection to counter such criminal offences. We allow such nonsense and wonder why people are being attacked and robbed, this will scare off even would-be-bank customers from using these mobile banking platforms.
We are even surprised that ZICTA through it’s PRO Ngabo Ndabo says that ZICTA doesn’t have the capacity to counter phone tapping. Surely, we demand that ZICTA must issue a comprehensive statement on whether phone tapping is a reality and whether they are pursuing this matter to find the culprits involved.
ZICTA must come out in the open and protect us the citizens from this criminal act, and must warn explicitly the mobile communication providers involved against these weaknesses in their system otherwise people will begin demand from govt for a fourth cellular network provider that is safer and addresses this criminality. We also demand that the telecommunications companies involved between the two in the conversation must come out in the open and tell the nation what transpired.
Zambia is a peaceful and safe investment destination and these criminal acts of phone tapping will scare investors from investing in a country were business conversations can be tapped into and shared on social media or one may be attacked on their way to bank or withdraw money. If this nonsense is not stopped soon we shall hear the President’s phone calls circulating on social media and what does that say about national safety and security of a nation. If this is allowed tapping will be extended to our security officers and that will be a mess on national security and stability.
It is indeed horrifying and regrettable that our investigative wings are not seen to be doing anything, it’s as though they are waiting for someone to go to the police and report. With this targetive and unprofessional online media platforms we must take a serious stance or else it will be you that is next. This call is not for politicians only but for all of us especially civil society dealing with human rights and freedoms because we are all not safe at all, we must call for enhanced digital security systems on these cellular mobile networks.
Lastly, we warn in the strongest terms possible all those involved whether it’s the intelligence with whoever authorised or private citizens, that they must desist from this criminality. Civil society must not allow our freedoms of privacy to be tramped upon by whoever wants to target people for whatever reason. We must not allow our country to degenerate into a policed state.
LONG LIVE ZANASU!
THANK YOU, AT STUDENTS SERVICE.
GOD BLESS OUR GREAT NATION ZAMBIA!
By PRINCE J. NDOYI
ZANASU V. PRESIDENT
What secret was tapped iwe? maybe kakambwili and kachanda are planning to join UPND..lol VIVA HH 2016
Kambwili refused that he did not say that the elections will be tough for PF, the Post was just trying to prove that what they were saying was the truth.
Nonsense tell us what the conversation was? planning to bring war in Zambia ? after losing on august 11th? kambwili should be castrated.
How on earth do you expect your phone conversations to be safe when you voted overwhelmingly to compel every citizen to have their sim card details registered. ZICTA is full of people who don’t get enough money and as such they can easily be bribed to sell sim card details to a willing buyer at a good price for cloning.
When Miyanda told you that registration of sim card details should be allowed you laughed at him. Now you are reaping the rewards of your ignorance and arrogance.
These are the results of not thinking things through before implementation.
Sorry about what happened to Kambwili . Its not a good thing but him and his PF stooges are solely to blame for this mess and massive corruption.
VIVA UPND and HH team
Tell us which law in zambia says it is illegal to tap?
Does he(Kakambwili) look like someone you can trust…
There is no secrecy, the Germany Chancellor had a phone tapped by the Americans and when they complained the response from America was that they have the right to do so. Don’t worry it is okay to tap into the phone of your rivals, enemies,competitors or whatever but when they tap into you camp to hear what goes on behind the scenes ‘awe mwandi ni sorry william’
I hope you were using sarcasm when commenting. Espionage is illegal by Constitution and UN decree.
SO, TO YOU EVERYTHING AMERICA DOES IS RIGHT? IF AMERICA GOES ON RAMPAGE TO KILL CIVILIANS IN IRAQI IN THE NAME OF REGIME CHANGE TO YOU IT’S OK BECAUSE AMERICA IS A STANDARD FOR EVERYTHING. EVEN WHEN AMERICA THROUGH THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT WING BUTCHERS AFRICAN AMERICANS TO YOU IT’S FINE. BECAUSE AMERICA IS ALWAYS RIGHT. DON’T WORRY- ONE GERMAN MAY IN FUTURE TAP INTO FBI AND GERMANY WILL REFUSE TO EXTRADITE THAT PERSON TO ANSWER CHARGES AND LET’S WAIT AND SEE WHAT AMERICA’S REACTION WILL BE.
That’s not true. The German prime minister was spied on and the Americans never said what you ve said.
I salute you PRINCE J. NDOYI. Lungu and the opposition should not smile about this act. we are entitled to privacy. where is our protection if the minister can be exposed like that?
Call me a moron or whatever, but the bottom line is that it is senseless to be a UPND cadre.
The question is which phone was tapped, if any tapping did in fact happen. Let’s assume it was Kambwili’s phone. Was it his official phone or his private phone. If it was his office phone, then you could talk about treason and whatnot. But if it was his private phone, then there might be a crime committed yes, but not treason. I presume the minister is careful enough not to do official business on an insecure personal phone line. And if he conducts official government business on a private unsecure line, he must be arrested for putting the security of the nation at risk!!! But we probably don’t care about such procedures in Zambia……
ignorance.. it wasnt even phone tapping.. that call was recorded by either of them
One of them must have recorded the call.
Everything that is making sense ba upnd don’t want to respond unless fake endorsements, you will cry wait for August11.
#sr fergie, that’s exactly what happened. Most likely its Chanda who leaked the story. As for phone tapping, as reprehensible as it maybe, we allowed Sata to bring in the chinese equipment & everyone was ndwii now its working against you, you want to complain. People in today’s world will keep on doing this, advocate for laws that ban even govt from eavesdropping on citizens. Don’t issue empty threats, I doubt if you are proper students.
How much do you want to be paid. We know mealie meal is expensive. Try something else not this crap.
THE FOLLOWING MAY HAVE HAPPENED:
1- THE PERSON KAMBWILI WAS TALKING TO RECORDED THE CONVERSATION ON ORDERS FROM SOMEWHERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINDING A REASON NOT TO ADOPT HIM (KAMBWILI). HE HAS FALLEN OUT OF FAVOUR. KAMBWILI SHOULD NOT LOOK VERY FAR FOR HIS BETRAYER. HE IS THE ONE DIPPING THE HAND IN THE DISH WITH HIM.
2- ONLY GOVERNMENT INSTITUTION HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO LISTEN IN AND TAPP TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS. KAMBWILI SHOULD KNOW THAT HE IS UNDER SURVEILLANCE. AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY THE MAN IS TOO DULL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING ARROUND HIM.
Well said students. Everyone needs privacy regardless of status in society. However, this incident alone may not necessitate a call for a fourth cellular network provider unless the crime was perpetrated by cellular network provider. Criminals are everywhere nowadays and third world countries like Zambia have not yet faced cyber crime like what developed world is facing. This is a wake up call for all citizens and the security wings to prepare before people lose their millions. Police bring culprits to book. Kambwili, what are you waiting for, gratuity? Claim damages from the cellular network provider.
A named Member of Parliament was over heard a few days ago stating that when President Lungu , even just coughs their are aware about it ?????
Have you something to hide?
If you are really serious with confidentiality of your conversation don’t go ONLINE by using your mobile at all, because it can reveal your physical location and upload whatever data to whoever has the appropriate application to trace your number. Read more on how Osama Bin Laden was being hunted and you will understand what is at stake in modern communication. ZICTA never invented and cannot control the Internet and therefore expect nothing from them. The invention and control is in the USA period.
WYNTER Kabimba says people must be careful with the choices they make on August 11 because they will end up with a government that is worse than PF. – , Kabimba cautioned Zambians against voting on impulse on August 11. “Zambians have voted in the past. Just going back to 1991, they voted out UNIP and brought in the MMD. At the end of the 20 years of the MMD, it proved to be worse than the UNIP government that they had voted out
Which wynter the same one who was was sharpening pangas on the tarmac in 2011, the same wynter who took a horde of cadres to ACC when he was meant to be questioned the same kabimba who hid the draft constitution the same kabimba who forged sata’s signature to appoint him acting president that’s the kabimba you want to get wisdom from
ZANASU if this stupid statement is really coming from you then you are beginning to behave like cadres of PF. The phone tapping was sanctioned by who ? It is happening even now sanctioned by someone i won’t mention them the message got out of the “entrusted ” spies. You think even your calls are not being recorded ? If not then you are not worth your salt….you should remain stupid vuvuzelas called cadres.
As a student Union body, you are strongly to keep away from such matters which do not inprove the welfare of students. Let people who are affected by such activities speak for themselves. Focus more on issues of meal allowances for students at UNZA and CBU as well as the students being expelled simply for asking for the timely payment of meal allowances.
CBU and UNZA have refused to be part of this organization.This ndobo is probably from whatever university
CBU and UNZA have refused to be part of this org because they are morons thats why they resort to stne throwing when ever there is ka issue.
Whether private or official phone does not reduce the gravity of the case. We expect the courts of law to be the ones to sanction such when need arises and not every jim and jack. We have only three providers of phone services and can assure you that if my provider is the one in this nonsense, I shall dump them. In most cases it is the employees who sink to such low levels as to sell information. ZICTA this is what you are there for to take up such to conclusion and assure the the Nation at large that you are able to manage your affairs.