MATABELELAND-BASED human rights activists have added their voice in condemning government’s proposed Zimbabwe Computer Crime and Cyber Crime Bill, describing it as draconian and meant to muzzle people’s freedoms.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) secretary-general, Benedict Sibasa yesterday said it was sinister and insensitive for the government to even contemplate having computer and cyber laws, when there are still many outstanding Bills like devolution.
The Bill will, among other things, allow the State to snoop into people’s conversations, as government rushes to intimidate citizens against using social media to express their anger against the country’s deteriorating socio-economic environment.
“The Bill is a totally misplaced intervention by the government and a total violation of the citizens’ basic fundamental rights and freedoms as enshrined in the constitution,” Sibasa said.
“As MIHR, we note with concern that while the State is concerned with cyber and computer crime, the Bill is misplaced, as it is not an immediate priority Bill to guarantee basic citizens’ rights, as will be done by other outstanding bills like the Devolution of Power Bill.”
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Section 264(2) of the Constitution provides for devolution of power where provincial authorities are supposed to be given more powers by central government to run their affairs and other responsibilities.
However, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa (pictured) recently told Parliament that government had no money to implement devolution.
Sibasa said the proposed Bill violates people’s rights to human dignity, privacy, freedom of assembly and association, freedom of conscience and of the media.
“We call on the government to recede from continuing with this Bill and should government continue, we urge the parliament and the citizens of Zimbabwe to defend human rights by refusing this Bill out rightly, as it grossly violates human rights,” he said.