The Continental Leadership Research Institute says the Cyber Security Bill is an important piece of legislation which will help to curtail a number of Cyber Crimes and Cyber Bullying in the country but that the timing of the Bill is wrong.
In a statement to the media Institute Executive Director Paul Mundia Hakoola said enacting the Cyber Security law at a time when the country is heading towards elections will water down it’s importance as it will be seen to be targeting a certain section of society.
Mr. Hakoola said the enactment of the said law will be seen as an infringement of the freedom of expression something which should be avoided if the country is to have a fair playing field in the August polls.
“…However, the timing for us to enact this law is a wrong because we are in an election year and already we are concerned about the issues to do with freedom of expression.
“As an Institute we have noted that freedom of expression and assembly has been under threat and some sections of our members in the country have note been able to freely express themselves and to meet so if we are going to have such a law at a time we are going to elections we believe that such piece of legislation will further curtail freedom of speech which already under threat.
“As an Institute we believe that going to election bench marks that supposed to be looked at is also a fair playing field. How do we have a fair playing field? We are supposed to have an active media, whether it’s on-line media or not,” he said.
He has since advised government to consider bringing the bill after the elections adding that more stakeholders should be brought on the table to add more input to the Bill before it is taken back to parliament.
“It is important that this piece of legislation is passed after the August elections in the spirit of promoting a vibrant media in the country and also to ensure that the fundamental freedom such as the freedom of expression are protected.
“Coming up with Cyber Security Bill is important but the timing is wrong and we also believe that there should be more stakeholder engagement in terms of the Bill so that a number of issues are debated,” he said.
So after elections then freedom of expression should not there. Are being told that this years elections will the last one.
This is the result when you look at Cyber security from a social media’s point of view. Cyber security is very wide, if anything social media issues only account for a very small percentage of cyber issues. People, companies, banks, hospitals are losing colossal amounts of money and resources daily through cyber space. Intellectual property rights are being threatened daily, there are other economic, political, national security issues that need cyber law like yesterday. Let us not be myopic and allow our uninformed fears deny the country an opportunity of having such an important law. We are NOT all in politics, there are other spheres of life that matter a lot of other people.
Mr Hakoola is missing the point. The Architects of this Bill feel that the timing of introducing the Bill is perfect becoz they will use it to steal the 2021 Elections. Team Lungu want to restrict Campaigns by Opposition Parties and deny them the freedom of expression and association. The Bill is meant to limit Electoral, Media, Civic and Political Space. Around voting time in August 2021 ,Team Lungu will close the Internet and Social Media so that the voting,counting of votes and announcement of Election Results can be falsified in secrecy to the benefit of ECL and PF. Team Lungu is using the M7 template to thoroughly rig the 2021 Elections and retain power. If PF MPs vote 4 this Bill they will regret it for the rest of their lives. Their own Rights and freedoms will be suspended…
Trust a GRZ that gasses its own people at your peril..,……..even kept mute on the extrajudicial executions of 2 innocent civilians….
This is a PF lead GRZ that has told so many lies and committed, supported so many horrendous acts of violence and brutality against those it sees as opposed to them……
And you think they will give you an honest snooping bill ?????………dream on….
His last name says it all.. hach1kaIa chakwe
Lungu is a tin pot very dull and stup1d dictator, what does this thieving failed useless lawyer, Lungu k@puba….w@nker
PF is using the arrogance of numbers to pass this Bill into Law since u only need a Simple Majority vote. This Bill is targeting the Opposition but restricts individual Rights and Freedoms. PF who will vote 4 this Repressive Bill will live to regret it when their personal liberties are abused by the State. All right thinking and progressive MPs should vote against this Repressive Bill.
The timing of the Bill is perfect 5months b4 August 12,2021 Elections. The intention of the promoters of the Bill is to rig the 2021 Elections with ease. With this law Electoral,Media, Civic and Political Space will be restricted. The Internet and Social Media will be shut while they are rigging the voting,vote counting and announcing Election Results. It’s all choreographed by Team Lungu. The writing is on the wall.
This bill should not be entertained by all those who believe in free flow of information and members of parliament from both sides should reject it. Allowing it will back on them when they are out of the office coz they will have no space to express their plight. If there was no social media most of the wrong deeds by the PF would not have been brought to light. When this Minister of Transport & Communications talks of cyber bullying, does he really know who is bullying who. Its the ruling party doing most of the bullying physically. In case he was not here during the UNIP regime, pipo will resort to illegal publications which can still find its way on the streets. The PF should do right things because the same piece of law they are trying to enact will one day work to their disadvantage…
only gestapos from Nazi Germany were so preoccupied with people’s last names, are you their reincarnation?
Respectfully, I have not read nor heard of any law in any country under the sun that strips away the basic right to privacy like this one. We need to monitor the cyber space, yes but we can not do that at a cost of privacy. Why not have a law that demands a court order with a clear cause in order to search a person’s phone rather than just some random cyber inspector when he/she sees fit? Unfortunately with the current regime, people can not trust the intentions of this law.
ZAMBIA WILL RISE AGAIN FROM ASHES TO PROSPERITY
LET AUGUST COME
Kaizar Zulu if indeed you love PF you should advise them to withdraw this Cyber Security Bill, because as Hakoola rightly says so, it is coming at a wrong time.
PF has already won the August 12 elections, but with this Bill they will definitely lose it. Why? Because everyone local and abroad will see it as targeting the opposition even if that is not the case. Secondly, the opposition and civil society and churches will use it as a weapon to defeat Pf. The picture is so clear. They didn’t have anything big to use, but this will be it.
Tackling cyberspace security is so huge that Pf cannot do it alone and too fast. If you can’t wait then everyone will be suspicious that you want to use it against opposition – cutting their freedom of speech f.ex.
But if Pf insists, let them be…
Iwe Hakoola so you want freedom of stupidity to continue? Are you related to Under 5 Kalusa?