Cyber Security Bill critical for exercise and enjoyment of human rights

MISA Zimbabwe by virtue of this letter humbly highlights and expresses our concern on developments arising from the recommittal of the Cyber Security and Data Protection Bill to the Senate.

It is our humble submission that this development is undoubtedly of national significance and interest which deserves your esteemed attention and all the necessary due processes in line with the constitutional role and obligations of the Parliament of Zimbabwe.

The Cyber Security and Data Protection Bill which was gazetted in May 2020 and subjected to public hearings in July 2020, has now been recommitted to Senate following its passing in the National Assembly.

This recommittal is a clear indication that there are significant errors that have been noted necessitating substantive amendments to the Bill.

Our position, through this petition for purposes of fostering and entrenching Zimbabwe’s constitutional democracy, is informed by the following reasons:

Following the public hearings in July 2020, a Parliamentary Committee report was produced, which proposed recommendations as collected and compiled from the public consultations carried out.

These recommendations should have informed and guided the changes made to this Bill. If significant changes outside the proposed recommendations have been further made, resulting in a substantive deviation from the original Bill, it is only reasonable, necessary and justifiable that the Bill, in its current state, be subjected to public hearings.

We, therefore, appeal to you Honourable Speaker, the clerk of Parliament and chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Information and Communication Technology, Courier and Postal Services, by virtue of the authority vested in you, to again subject the Bill to scrutiny by the people in the spirit of promoting, respecting and upholding the tenets of democracy.

The Cyber Security and Data Protection Bill is a key piece of legislation as it impacts the social, political and economic landscape of Zimbabwe.

A strong cyber security and data protection framework is critical for the exercise and enjoyment of human rights, trade, increased investments and Zimbabwe’s socio-economic development.