By Mubanga Mubanga
PF chairperson for information and publicity Emmanuel Mwamba has urged civil society and political parties to come together and oppose the Cyber Security Bill of 2024.
Speaking in interview with Daily Revelation yesterday, Mwamba said the civil society, political parties and the Church needed to unite and oppose the bill.
“Zambians must not accept it, all of us civil society, political parties must come together to oppose this undue amendments that are being proposed by Mr Jack Mwiimbu and President Hakainde Hichilema,” Mwamba said.
“We need to work together, political parties, civil society and the Church with Law Association of Zambia. We need concerted efforts. Let’s raise the lobby against this bill, without fail.”
Mwamba said the bill would only be withdrawn if public support was raised against it.
Mwamba further said the proposed Cyber Security Bill was in fact more dangerous than the one they wanted to repeal.
“Why they have crafted the new bill, the Cyber Security security Bill is actually more dangerous than the one they are repealing. Zambians must not accept it,” Mwamba said.
When reminded that the government had come up with the Cyber Security Bill of 2024, on assertions that there were crimes being committed online, Mwamba said Zambia had more than sufficient laws to deal with that.
“We have sufficient laws to deal with any defamation, any crime we do not need any oppressive law to do that,” said Mwamba.
Mwamba’s comments come amidst information of nefarious activities said to have been launched against social media accounts belonging media house’s and individuals viewed to as being critical, in order to affect their reach to the masses.
A source familiar with the matter indicated that Daily Revelation was among the organisations affected.
Last week, Cabinet approved the introduction of the Cyber Security Bill, 2024 and the Cyber Crimes Bill, 2024.
This is to repeal the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act Number two of 2021 and separate the Cyber Security and Cyber-Crimes Act of 2021 into two separate Bills.
Acting Chief Government Spokesperson Elvis Nkandu said the objectives of the Cyber Security Bill, 2024 were to establish the Zambia Cyber Security Agency, provide for the protection of critical information and critical information infrastructure among others.
He also said in the case of the Cyber Crimes Bill, 2024, the objectives of the Bill were to make provision for criminalising of illegal acts related to computer systems and information communication technologies, provide for the protection of persons against cyber-crimes and provide for child online protection.
He said Cabinet had realised that under the current legal framework, the Cyber Security and Cyber-Crimes Act of 2021, was inadequate in providing comprehensive security in the cyber space, as a result of lack of dedicated institutions to administer the issues relating to cyber security contrary to international best practices.
