Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati has announced that the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act will be tabled in the next sitting of Parliament for Amendment.
Speaking at the Government Engagement Discussion on Cloud and Cyber Security today, the Minister said Cyber Security and Cybercrime are among the biggest threats to Zambia, hence the need to amend the laws.
He said that once amended the law will ensure that people who abuse cyberspace are dealt with and has called on stakeholders in the sector to submit their input before the Act is presented before parliament.
And Liquid Intelligent Technologies Chief Executive Officer Mark Townsend said the government needs to provide clear positions around data storage and Cyber Security Laws.
Mr. Townsend said there is also a need for the establishment of a data protection office that will provide the administrative framework of how organizations dealing with data and data storage should be compliant.
On Tuesday, 23rd March, 2021, former President Edgar Lungu assented into law the Cyber Security and Cyber Bill of 2021 and hoped the law will bring sanity to the way the internet is used in Zambia.
“This is purely to protect citizens from abuse by people who feel they can do or say whatever they want using the veil of cyberspace. This law is aimed at protecting all Zambians, including those who are against it,” President Lungu said.
The President said the Bill was brought to his office and he scrutinized it before he assented to it.
“l could not have signed it if I was not convinced it is for the good of all Zambians. I have read through and it is perfect, ” he noted at the time
The objects of the Bill were to ensure the provision of cybersecurity in the Republic, provide for the protection of persons against cybercrime, provide for child online protection and facilitate identification, declaration, and protection of critical information infrastructure.
Others are to provide for the collection of and preservation of evidence of computer and network related crime, revise the admission, in criminal matters, of electronic evidence, provide for the registration of cybersecurity services providers; and provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.
Immediately after the bill was signed, UPND Spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa announced that President Hakainde Hichilema had set the repealing of the infamous Cyber Security and Cyber Crime Bill NAB2 as his number one priority once he is ushered into office on August 12.
Mr Mweetwa at the time called on party members to be wary of sharing information that has the potential to land them in trouble with the authorities.
“We want to tell the nation that HH has committed to repealing the Cyber Security [and Cyber Crimes Bill]. That’s one of the things he will do ever. He has committed to that. Look! The freedoms of the people of this country have been invaded,” he said.
He also alleged at the time that the PF has turned the public media into its tool for propaganda, accusing the ruling party of feeding Zambians on a menu of lies.
“When you talk about the public broadcaster, it is not what people say that should be heard, it is what the State want people to hear. Feeding the nation on a menu of lies. The only platform that remained for people to communicate information was social media and now they have gone into that space to shrink it,” he charged Mweetwa.
Another f00I trying to show his boss that he agrees with the direction given to arrest my brother SET and yet no post of SET refers to HH name. The upnd camp are very slow in thinking.
Be careful with the laws that you make today because tomorrow they will be used against you.. ask PF… you are just ordinary human beings and tomorrow will belong to another person.
UPND in opposition: we will repeal this law and the Public Order Act immediately we form government. The cybersecurity Act is being used to arrest people for expressing themselves.
UPND in government: we have set up a commission of inquiry to find out whether the Public Order Act is problematic. We shall also add more laws to arrest people abusing the cyberspace.
One is talking about data storage and Cyber Security Laws the ruling party politician as always is thinking about how to fix opponents.
Things never change with African politicians..
When you were (ku wire) in opposition, you vehemently promised to invalidate this retrogressive cyber law.
Why keep it? It probably has proved a darling to you like it was to them. It has suddenly become a progressive legislature worth keeping. Amazing how things change.
This is interesting if not plain annoying. HH promised to get rid of Lungu’s Cyber law, now he doesn’t want to get rid of it, he wants to WORSEN it!
Ba PF mwati letelela mwaona manje?
The clause on network data interception should be carefully look at otherwise it will be abused and we cannot have this act while we only have ZICTA as the regulator, Computer security incident response, government cyber intelligency department, and standard board for ICT, it’s enforcement will be biased.