THE Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has warned that failure by mobile service providers to deregister unregistered SIM cards after the expiry of the registration deadline is tantamount to abrogating the law.
ZICTA public relations manager Ngabo Nankonde urged mobile phone users whose SIM cards were disconnected despite having registered them to report to their respective service providers.
Ms Nankonde said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the law and Government’s directive on SIM card were clear and thus all mobile service providers were expected to adhere to that.
“Those who registered their SIM Cards but have been disconnected have to go to their respective mobile service providers to report the matter immediately.
“As for those who did not register their SIM Cards but are still connected, the Act is very clear and so is the Government directive.
Any mobile service provider connecting unregistered SIM Cards is breaking the law and going against the Government directive,” she said.
Ms Nankonde said currently a ZICTA technical team was in the field trying to verify and investigate the “hearsay” and that the Authority would act accordingly based on the report it would receive from the technical team.
In August, last year, Transport, Communications, Works and Supply Minister Yamfwa Mukanga announced December 31, 2013 as the deadline for the SIM card registration exercise but announced its extension to January 31, 2014.
At the time he was announcing the extension of the registration process on December 31, 2013, Mr Mukanga said as at December 30, 2013, 6.8 million subscribers had registered their SIM cards out of a mobile phone service subscriber base of 10.3 million.
But according to Ms Nankonde, the number of registered SIM cards had risen to about eight million, as at yesterday.
Following the expiry of the extension period on January 31, 2014, some mobile phone subscribers have complained of their SIM cards being deactivated despite them being registered while several others who did not register their SIM cards were still connected.
ZICTA, are you going to refund these phone companies, the income lost when they de-activate lines? SIM Registration is not supposed to be a mandatory thing, it ought to be on voluntary basis. Apply some education please. What u r doing is infringing on human rights. Forcing people to do something against their will. R u not lawyers? U say its to protect lost phones, suppose someone doesn’t care whether their phone is recovered or not?
Please, face this issue with the intellect it deserves.
….correct…..the reason for registration is very flimsy. Voluntary is the word Bro….atleast for now I’m still enjoying the service despite not registering…..
kekekekekekee..pa Zed..
Who makes a loss? Go ahead and deactivate the sim cards because zicta depends on those buying airtime whose sims will be deactivated. No salary for you in March.
ZICTA is taking our country backwards. When my SIM is disconnected I will loose my airtime and I will not get another phone the service provider will loose out. What exactly are we trying to archive from this exercise?
Showing up ubufontini!!
Has anyone tried to call Gen Miyanda?
Go ahead and deactivate! Just remember that this will entail less money for Chikwanda to squander! And why should Zambians get annoyed when I tell them that Zambia is a cesspool? Common sense in Zambia is as rare as finding a green space in a Zambian town! There’s absolutely no need for this BS.
Abrogating the Law or Not complying with the Law?
I was thinking that ZICTA legal department/officer has basic knowledge of Legal English language?
actually i been waiting to be deactivated but to no avail.simple,the 8 million figure is a hoax just like was the 90 days slogan.most of those who registered are those from compounds and rural settings who spend less money on talk time.it would be suicide for any mobile company to deregister so many subcribers especially us who spend k20 a day on tt.still waiting to see how this whole thing puns out
Let us follow the law that so. Thats why even our towns are dirty because of our bad mentalities of oppossing everything even a simple thing. The mobile companies are not investigating wings.