Tuesday, December 10, 2024

State House directs IG Kanganja and ZICTA to curb rising ‘ cyber bullying.’

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Mr Amos Chanda
Mr Amos Chanda

State House Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda has appealed to the Zambia Police and the Zambia Information Communication Technology (ZICTA) to put in place measures which will curb the cyber bullying and the issuing of fake news on digital media.

Mr. Chanda says the two institutions should conduct a thorough investigation and take decisive action in order to forestall the irresponsible and criminal behavior which has a real danger to disrupt public order.

The Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations has revealed that between the periods towards the 2016 general elections and now, a number of false statements were generated and issued under his name.

Mr. Chanda explains that despite the structural and professional deficiencies inherent in the forgeries, several individuals and businesses are nevertheless getting distressed and thrown into panic believing that the announcements are official bulletins from the State House Press Office.

He noted that cyber-bullying tactic by devious individuals is aimed at fostering lawlessness on a mass scale that is why the problem has gotten the attention of many governments who are taking steps to control it.

France is one of the countries which has put in place stringent laws as announced by the President to crack down the criminality, Mr. Chanda said.

Digital media space offers great promise as a democratic platform with limited possibility however it poses a great risk not just to human security and protection of public and private property but also threatens social cohesion by promoting hate speech and other illiberal values using the false comfort of the anonymity of the cyber space.

Mr. Chanda added that therein lies the existential threat against various facets because cyber bullying alters power relations in favour of the invisible enemy with unlimited power against a hapless target without any hope of redress at a personal level.

He has consequently called upon the Police and ZICTA to act decisively to forestall or eliminate all together the rampaging criminal behavior.

Mr. Chanda said the phenomenon of fake news and cyber bullying must be taken seriously by all stakeholders because in other jurisdictions these have led to such unfortunate incidents as suicide among vulnerable targets especially young people and women.

He further added that he believes legislation exists for the Police and ZICTA to be able to control the hideous crime.

The Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations said this in a letter to Inspector General Kakoma Kanganja and made available to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday.

31 COMMENTS

  1. The IG and ZICTA will act as directed Mr. Vice President. As a matter of fact you sound even more Presidential than the Great Leader of this great nation. At least we have a voice coming out of State House. Amos can you address the Nation as well. I think the people of this great nation will appreciate your leadership role you have assumed. No one should blame you. Someone has to step up and say something.

    • Amos just goes to prove what we all know, which is that Edgar Lungu is not fit to be president. He is clueless and doesn’t a thing. Instead of directing ZICTA to find ways of increasing internet coverage for most Zambians Edgar and cronies are concerned more about self preservation.

  2. We should be busy curbing cholera,use of pit latrines and mushrooming of road side filthy vendors.Cyber bullying is a 1st world problem lets deal with our 3rd world killer disease 1st cuz right now Rwandans & Namibians are looking down on filthy Zambians.

  3. Mr Chanda, we have over 60 people who have sadly died as a result of cholera and the disease has not yet been contained, Namibia has stopped allowing all food items from Zambia entering their border and I’m certain other countries such as Botswana will follow suite- this will impact our economy greatly. We need to channel all resources to fighting Cholera today! Let us not be worried about cyber bullying at this time, more important things are happening and infact the Cholera pandemic must be declared a State emergency or else we might lose more lives! Those Luxury SUVs top govt officers love showing off must be turned into ambulances!

  4. Does this government have leaders in place, this guy’s seems to talk about everything ,even what he does not understand

  5. This gut has bolted onto himself a lot of power which is not good enough . He speaks for government over anything even on subject matters he is not qualified for . Even in a banana republic like ours which is crippled by cholera this Chanda cannot be a master of every things .The ministers of various arms of government should be rendered jobless because Chanda is doing their job and they are getting paid for warming their seats.

  6. i think we should curb Amos Chanda himself ,he releases a lot of unhelpful toxic trash thats why we’ve got cholera.

  7. What bullying is he talking about? who is bullying who in Zambia? Lungu’s government is a useless administration; they have wasted millions of dollars trying to close ZW and other online news sites in fruitless efforts instead of serving the people of Zambia; Why can’t they put their efforts to ending the oppression of the opposition;

  8. I recall Wynter Kabimba similarly having so much much power – but where is he now.
    The same draconian directives and policies he engineered are now menacing him like everyone else.

    I fail to understand why these chaps never learn!
    Amos, why can’t you learn from history and make beneficial policies that will also protect you when you become “Ordinary Amos” like us your fellow common Zambians??

    • DISGRACED State House Aide Kaizer Zulu his counterpart Amos Chanda, Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo and Minister in-charge of National Development Planning Lucky Mulusa on Tuesday night celebrated the arrest of UPND President Hakainde Hichilema in style at a pub on 8 Reedbuck road in Kabulonga.
      The four senior PF officials took turns boasting how they had made sure they had fixed the opposition leader and how they were controlling state institution.
      The officials who were in the company of another mercenary, Lewis Mosho and some former Post Journalist and what looked like prostitutes, drunk the night out and only left 8 reedbuck after midnight.
      “Natuka chita ka cikala…kalemona kwati ni ka President nako. In fact Ba (kakoma) Kankanja is very weak if I didn’t direct him upto now…

    • Continued;
      In fact Ba (kakoma) Kankanja is very weak if I didn’t direct him upto now that ka cikala would still be enjoying the comfort of his house,” Kaiser Zulu was heard bragging before Kampyongo interjected,
      “Awe kachepa sana. We are in charge …we are serious operatives. In fact kulefwayika fye kafwile mu jele. Ni mweba Amos you are too soft this should have been done immediately we came from Mongu,” said Kampyongo.
      However Chanda who was seemingly concerned about the media backlash said he had already instructed the public media to stop any form of coverage.
      “We need to manage what comes out of the media…otherwise abantu must not be fed on this ka HH. We discussed naba Mwamba how we must handle the who thing. We managed to turn the incident in Mongu against UPND. A ka perfect…

    • Continued;
      We discussed naba Mwamba how we must handle the who thing. We managed to turn the incident in Mongu against UPND. A ka perfect opportunity presented itself kaili nomba balamba ukupapata and they will now recognize P1 as President,” said Chanda.
      Chanda who was drinking Savannah dry, also mocked the UPND vice president GB Mwamba.
      “Chilya chipuba chi GBM instead chibwele twise lya nacho,” Chanda said.
      Meanwhile sources at 8 Reedbuck revealed that the four were regular customers who were servicing huge bills.
      “These are our regular customers here. Some times they come here and in one night they can even spend K18, 000 on alcohol. They like to drink these expensive whiskeys like Jameson 21, just the fine the beers,” said the source.
      On Monday evening police brutally attacked…

  9. Amos Chanda is the Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations.
    UPND ignorance on governance is embarrassing and alarming.
    Why confuse his role with that of government spokesperson.

    • Amos Chanda’s role is to speak on state house matters. Is cyber bullying a state house matter? It is the Minister of Information and chief government spokesperson to speak on such matters. In matters where the President is defamed yes he’s free to speak on such.

  10. This Amos has assumed so much power that he can even direct the inspector general of police to do his heinous work for him? Why is he scared? Is it because he is being exposed everyday about his fast amassed wealth that has raised a lot of eye brows? Truth be told, there is time for everything under the sun, today you can threaten anyone with impunity but the time of reckoning is around the corner. We live in a free world and not a dictatorship, like someone has said, something had to speak at state house because that place is so quite, is it because of cholera?

  11. tasila complained of bullying and amos has acted.if someone is bullying , she or he must report to the police……not tell statehouse…… Zambia has laws and police are enforcers…….
    Calling anyone names is bullying… even calling HH a kachema…. they will only attend to cases favouring PF chaps…. Watch and see….. what a country……..
    Somehow i can doubts on the competence of IG

  12. @ Beyond Reproach
    IG and ZICTA Director General/Board DO NOT report to Amos Chanda. Amos is not making an announcement, he is directing the Police and ZICTA. He is overlooking the ministers responsible for these two structures.

  13. The young man Amos Chanda cannot keep quiet and talk about cholera he goes to accuse people he does not know. His hot air threats will not take him anywhere because koswe ngaingila mumpoto sendeni akapama (rat trap) and do don’t kubeba ba state house by voting the corrupt resigme out.
    Thank you.

  14. This gut has bolted onto himself a lot of power which is not good enough . He speaks for government over anything even on subject matters he is not qualified for . Even in a banana republic like ours which is crippled by cholera this Chanda cannot be a master of everythings .The ministers of various arms of government should be rendered jobless because Chanda is doing their job and they are getting paid for warming their seats. Who is the boss between you and Kaiza. Why is he not stepping up to the plate and do what you are doing ?

  15. Dear Mr Chanda, I have two points for you:
    Re: Official announcements and bulletins from State House – you have the capacity in your role to make the public aware of the platform/s where all such bulletins and announcements will be published in a timely manner for the public and all media houses to view. In the absence of you making us aware you are failing in duty and hence allowing social media to speculate and provide the public fake news. You need to clean up your house instead of calling Kanganja or whatever. Further to this, the thin line between your role and that of the Information Minister does not help matters.
    Re: Cyber Bullying – please define online/cyber bullying and freedom of speech in the context of Zambia and not France (France is too advanced in terms of policy so…

  16. Bullying through Music is even worse because it targets mainly an aneducated audience who can not analyse whether an issue has substance or is a mare hate campain. On the Social Networks, the Audience is by & large educated. Bullied, also has a chance to give counter facts & defend oneself. Nga wasumina infula, wasumina na Matipa. Social Network is like a Jungle or Ocean where you find all sorts of different species.

  17. Bullying through Music causes Pollution or intoxication of the brain or mindset. It also contributes to Night Noise Pollution. It affects & disturbs you, whether you like it or not. Social Networks are for an Informed Audience only, who subscribe to Internet.

    • @Tamukwete Ifyakulanda. Landeniko naimwe ifyamano, tumfwe ko na ifwe. Mwaikalila fye imiponto? Mwasambilile pa Mawilo Primary? Olo pa Twavutika? I went to St. Johns High School. In fact Music is used by organised groups of “Bandits” or Gangsters or Mafias as an effective Channel for Psychological Violence. That’s why you hear in some Vocalists someone screaming, “Kill Yourself”. Mixed with the use of drugs, some listeners comply. Waunfwa Mwana? Wapurika? Wanvela?…. I don’t know what I pick up from Lyrics such as “Walilowa Walilowa” or “Bene Baileta”. So this justifies me to exploit them?

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