By Daily Revelation Editor
The UPND government’s recent enactment of Cyber Security Law has sparked widespread concern among civil society organizations, legal experts, the media, and democratic advocates. While we rightly recognize the importance of safeguarding digital infrastructure and protecting citizens from cyber threats, the legislation has raised serious questions about its potential to undermine fundamental freedoms and weaken democratic institutions.
At the heart of the controversy is the law’s broad and vague provisions that could be exploited to suppress dissent, restrict free expression, and curtail journalistic activities.
Laws that grant authorities sweeping powers to monitor, censor, or arrest individuals based on their online activities threaten the core democratic principle of free speech.
When citizens fear that their online communications could lead to criminal charges or surveillance, genuine public discourse diminishes, and the democratic space shrinks.
Clearly, this law has induced an atmosphere of fear in the country. People have now become extremely overcautious to express even the most genuine and honest of opinions on matters of public interests that may not sit well with the powers that be, leading to free thought and expression being seriously stifled and undermined.
Even those who support the enactment of this law have taken issue with this retrogressive law. They have denounced some of its provisions as ridiculous.
Earlier this week we saw a genuine group of business people abandon or close down their WhatsApp group over fears on cyber law enforcement, as cited by one of the group administrators.
“It’s ridiculous to criminalise disclosure of being questioned under Cyber Act,” said Lusaka businessman Sipho Phiri, who together with another prominent business guru Diego Cassilli, were among the administrators of the recently shut down WhatsApp Group, the Oracle, over fears of Cyber Law enforcement.
For those who may not be aware, this was a group which consisted of 1200 people – from various business sectors, some of whom were government officials – all with one agenda, to brainstorm on business topics for a common national good.
Given these concerns, we urge the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to proceed full throttle in challenging this barbaric legislation in our courts of law. LAZ is on firm ground that the courts which serve as guardians of Zambia’s constitutional rights should help scrutinise the provisions in this Act and ensure Zambia’s constitutional rights such as freedom of expression, media, privacy, and association are protected. We also believe that our courts will play a crucial role in interpreting the law, striking down overly broad clauses, and safeguarding citizens from potential abuses.
We would like to stress that this law has the potential to curtail democracy – due to it overtly empowering state agencies with excessive control over digital spaces.
LAZ, like every well-meaning Zambians are aware that the government wants to create a climate of fear and self-censorship among the public, media houses, civil society groups, and opposition voices, thereby weakening the necessary checks and balances essential for democratic accountability.
Democracy cannot surely function in darkness, under an atmosphere of fear. For any nation to progress, it needs to acknowledge that society survives and thrives when an electorate is well informed. However, communicating those facts becomes difficult in an environment where people fear to offer sound opinions on account of reprisals from the state using the law.
The fight against these barbaric laws must be pursued vigorously through the courts which all Zambians, including CSOs must support. Upholding the rule of law and protecting democratic freedoms is paramount.
Protecting Zambia’s democracy requires vigilance, legal integrity, and unwavering commitment to fundamental freedoms. The courts must stand firm in defending these values against laws that threaten to erode them.
We can safely say that this Cyber Law is a poisoned chalice containing some very progressive provisions just to make it appear appealing to the public eye, yet the whole thing is nothing but poison underneath it. It’s like drinking a poisonous substance that has been coated with sugar around it. No matter how sweet the sugar may be on the outside, the sum total of the substance is nothing but poison.
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By Daily Revelation Editor
The UPND government’s recent enactment of Cyber Security Law has sparked widespread concern among civil society organizations, legal experts, the media, and democratic advocates. While we rightly recognize the importance of safeguarding digital infrastructure and protecting citizens from cyber threats, the legislation has raised serious questions about its potential to undermine fundamental freedoms and weaken democratic institutions.
At the heart of the controversy is the law’s broad and vague provisions that could be exploited to suppress dissent, restrict free expression, and curtail journalistic activities.
Laws that grant authorities sweeping powers to monitor, censor, or arrest individuals based on their online activities threaten the core democratic principle of free speech.
When citizens fear that their online communications could lead to criminal charges or surveillance, genuine public discourse diminishes, and the democratic space shrinks.
Clearly, this law has induced an atmosphere of fear in the country. People have now become extremely overcautious to express even the most genuine and honest of opinions on matters of public interests that may not sit well with the powers that be, leading to free thought and expression being seriously stifled and undermined.
Even those who support the enactment of this law have taken issue with this retrogressive law. They have denounced some of its provisions as ridiculous.
Earlier this week we saw a genuine group of business people abandon or close down their WhatsApp group over fears on cyber law enforcement, as cited by one of the group administrators.
“It’s ridiculous to criminalise disclosure of being questioned under Cyber Act,” said Lusaka businessman Sipho Phiri, who together with another prominent business guru Diego Cassilli, were among the administrators of the recently shut down WhatsApp Group, the Oracle, over fears of Cyber Law enforcement.
For those who may not be aware, this was a group which consisted of 1200 people – from various business sectors, some of whom were government officials – all with one agenda, to brainstorm on business topics for a common national good.
Given these concerns, we urge the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to proceed full throttle in challenging this barbaric legislation in our courts of law. LAZ is on firm ground that the courts which serve as guardians of Zambia’s constitutional rights should help scrutinise the provisions in this Act and ensure Zambia’s constitutional rights such as freedom of expression, media, privacy, and association are protected. We also believe that our courts will play a crucial role in interpreting the law, striking down overly broad clauses, and safeguarding citizens from potential abuses.
We would like to stress that this law has the potential to curtail democracy – due to it overtly empowering state agencies with excessive control over digital spaces.
LAZ, like every well-meaning Zambians are aware that the government wants to create a climate of fear and self-censorship among the public, media houses, civil society groups, and opposition voices, thereby weakening the necessary checks and balances essential for democratic accountability.
Democracy cannot surely function in darkness, under an atmosphere of fear. For any nation to progress, it needs to acknowledge that society survives and thrives when an electorate is well informed. However, communicating those facts becomes difficult in an environment where people fear to offer sound opinions on account of reprisals from the state using the law.
The fight against these barbaric laws must be pursued vigorously through the courts which all Zambians, including CSOs must support. Upholding the rule of law and protecting democratic freedoms is paramount.
Protecting Zambia’s democracy requires vigilance, legal integrity, and unwavering commitment to fundamental freedoms. The courts must stand firm in defending these values against laws that threaten to erode them.
We can safely say that this Cyber Law is a poisoned chalice containing some very progressive provisions just to make it appear appealing to the public eye, yet the whole thing is nothing but poison underneath it. It’s like drinking a poisonous substance that has been coated with sugar around it. No matter how sweet the sugar may be on the outside, the sum total of the substance is nothing but poison.
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