Having a cyber law is pivotal

THE Computer Society of Zimbabwe held its annual ICT Summit where a number of issues came under the spotlight, including infrastructure sharing and the impending Cyber Bill. Our deputy group business editor Kudzai Kuwaza (KK) recently caught up with the society’s president, Allen Saruchera (pictured), to discuss issues affecting the ICT sector. Below are excerpts of the interview:

KK: Tell us about the Computer

Zimbabwe.

AS: We are a professional body focused on championing the ICT industry in Zimbabwe through independent professional counselling based on our wide skills base, through our membership and driven by the various partnerships we have. Our work is not just for the benefit of our membership, but also for government, industries and society in general.

KK: What was the focus of the summit?

AS : The focus of the summit was to discover practical ways of leveraging, to the greatest benefit possible, technologies that are existing now. The year 2020 started on a very interesting note. We thought things were going to continue as normal until the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

In the 2019 edition of the summit, we focused on discovering the fourth industrial revolution and innovating around them. On the backdrop of the pandemic, this year, we sought to bring our minds together and use these technologies to find new ways of thriving in it. It’s a complete shift from thinking theoretically.

So, the conference facilitated around these issues.

KK: What resolutions did you come up with? AS : From the conversations we had, a couple of big-shift themes and ideas came up. One of the most impressionable ones came in the form of legislation. That is setting up the right framework of operating safely through the Cyber Bill that is currently on the table. Participants exchanged ideas on the need for all sectors of the economy to own the Bill and participate in the input and review processes, especially where the Bill comes short. Collaboration was also another big theme, which came in the form of infrastructure and ethical data sharing.

Players in the economy can only move faster by riding on each other’s steam. Ideas around

Society

of exchanges how the data we already have can transcend the competitive silos were deliberated, and the building blocks to achieve the same were put on the table.These sentiments were echoed by Minister of ICT (Jenfan Muswere) who spoke on both issues — particularly on the urgent need for all players to find each other. A water-tight Cyber Bill, as he explained, remains the superstructure on which an all-encompassing digital operating environment can be efficiently and safely operationalised.

KK: There have been fears that the Cyber Bill will infringe upon the human rights enshrined in the country’s Constitution. What is your view?

AS: Certainly, and the inclusive nature of the conference in having legal experts gave us the insights we needed to see through to address the blind spots in the Bill. We like to view the current consultative and constructive process as work-in-progress because of the evolving nature of technologies. The influence that is there is predominantly pro-rights and completely tuned to robust legal and ethical considerations, hard