Friday, March 29, 2024

CSOs demand for withdrawal of Cyber Security and Cybercrimes Bill

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A Consortium of Civil Society Organizations has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Cyber Security and Cybercrimes bill from parliament labeling it unjustifiable in a democratic nation.

The Consortium is comprised of Action Aid Zambia, Alliance for Community Action, Chapter One Foundation, and Council of Christian Churches in Zambia.

Others are GEARS Initiative Zambia, Transparency International Zambia, and Zambia Council for Social Development.

Speaking on behalf of the CSO’s, GEARS Initiative Zambia Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi said the bill is a trap targeting cyber users especially opposition politicians ahead of the August 12, 2021 polls, and will further shrink the electoral, media, civic and political space.

Mr. Chipenzi explains that the proposed bill further violates the bill of rights saying the country already has laws in place to deal with perpetrators of cyberbullying.

The Bill is currently at the Committee stage in parliament.

And ActionAid Zambia Country Director Nalucha Ziba said it wrong for the PF to seek to pass a law using the arrogance of numbers.

Below is the full statement

31 COMMENTS

  1. Coming from a christian background, i never believed in Spiritualists or ever imagined that i would get the help of a traditional healer/sangoma. Having been employed for 6 years in the same position, training new comers that join the company, get promoted and am still stuck in the same position no matter how hard i worked or applications i place in every time there was an opportunity, this got me so stressed.At home it was not any different, my relationship was sour, we had tried for 3 years to conceive but in vain. I visited so many hospitals, used various herbs but still never conceived and husband was seeking a separation because of the family pressure,one day on social media my long time friend living in DURBAN got in touch with me,a few days later i opened up to her about what was happening in my life,she advised me to try this powerful traditional healer that had helped sometime back,i hesitated at first because i did not like the idea of going to a traditional healer,i thought for a while about contacting this person, then decided to give it a try, so i called Him, lucky for me he was available to see me and he was in the same country.Long story short,he helped me a lot,i got a much better job position in the company i had long wanted to work in,with a very good pay, my husband paid lobola at home, our wedding is this year and i am soon setting up my first side big business(Beauty Shop) anywhere i want. I must say my perception was totally wrong, if you need help too don’t wait till its too late contact Dr profisma on +27783320386 WhatApp

  2. This is a do or die Bill for ECL and PF. Just like the Dead Bill 10 was.With the crucial August 12, 2021 fast approaching Team Lungu plan to close Electoral, Media, Civic and Political Spaces to make easier to rig the Elections and retain Power at all costs. Team Lungu’s Plan is to restrict Opposition Parties from freely Campaigning. The PF Govt is weaponising Covid-19 to rig the 2021 Elections. Towards the Elections in August 2021,Team Lungu will close the Internet and Social Media so that they can rig the counting of votes and the announcement of Election Results. ECL is using M7 template to rig our Elections. In Uganda the Internet and Social Media are still closed 30 days after Ugandan Elections. ECL is emulating his Godfather M7 to rig the Zambian Elections in August 2021. All…

  3. This Bill will constrain the electoral, media, civic and political space in Zambia. The country has laws dealing with cyberbullying already. The Bill gives a free hand by the ruling regime to target perceived political opponents. The Minister is given excessive powers to appoint officers and commissions to implement a Bill whose main role will be to be spying on how citizens use opportunities for their free speech and expression of their opinions. No public consultation was made on a Bill which directly affects the public lives of Zambians. Exposing political leaders from the ruling and opposition parties who steal public resources for their personal and political gains should never be condemned as cyber bullying in a democratic country.

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  4. Is GEARS mandated to run the affairs of Parliament or indeed other branches of the State? If so who elected them?

    Democracy is quickly being eroded by traitors while the Zambian sleeps.

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  5. F00lish upnd sponsored so called civil society organisations. You can go and cry and suck on ya mama’s teetays because the bill is here to stay. We need to clean this nation off dirty upnd propagandists who are using social media to spread tribal hate and lies. A ban on all upnd diasporans on zambian platforms is my personal aim and I will see to it

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  6. Just like the Dead Bill 10 this Bill is designed to rig the 2021 Elections in favour of ECL and PF. ECL is in a hurry to enact this Bill into law b4 the August 12, 2021 Elections. The Bill is crafted to restrict Electoral,Media, Civic and Political Spaces. The drafters of this Bill are using a M7 Template. In Uganda M7 closed the Internet on Election Day to make sure the voting, vote counting and the announcement of Election Results were done in secrecy. ECL intends to rig our Elections the M7 style. All right thinking MPs should vote against this Repressive Bill. Zambians need to remain alert to protect the 2021 Vote. Our only hope is HH and UPND in 2021 and beyond.

  7. Congratulations to ugly nalumango for being picked as vice president of the tribal party. Remember that not many last in that position due to how difficult hh is. However we wish you the best and will meet you in the battlefield

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  8. I just love Zambians. We are nolonger docile. This bill just like Bill 10 will fall apart. There is no more room in Zambia for tyrants to grow wings.

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  9. Before we talk about this bill can we ask ourselves, HOW AND WHAT LAWS HAVE THE POLICE BEEN USING TO ARREST THOSE FOUND WANTING ON CYBER SPACE, we have heard of that gentleman from kitwe who posted a video and another one fro kapiri mposhi for insulting, are we saying the current laws are not enough?, since this bill popped up have just heard people saying they have been bullied on social media, my question is , have reported them to the security wings, and what was the response from the security wings?

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  10. When the so called NGOs team up to defend these cowards who hide behind the screens to defame, bully and insult others with impunity then you know the country is going down the drain. We need a law that regulates this kind of behaviour. This country will one day wake up to a rude awakening when we will have a leader who will buldoze all these so called human rights which do not put food on the table. We condemned China’s polices etc today we are begging from the same ” poor” human rights nation. If you look at all these so called NGO’s even their own underwares are made in china, But today they are on rooftops condenming a law that will bring sanity to our nation. They are the first to shout ” Which law is being applied here”. You NGOs you can still be relevant by supporting…

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  11. ..They are the first to shout ” Which law is being applied here”. You NGOs you can still be relevant by supporting relevant laws of the land.

  12. mwebantu.news/police-pick-up-adedo-president
    11/4/2018 · November 4, 2018. November 4, 2018. mwebantunews. Police in Lusaka have picked up a Mr. Justin Chikonde, President of ADEDO Party, of Kabwata for insulting the Head of State. Chikonde is seen and heard in the video that has gone viral showering insults

    I have a ask.
    Are the laws that were used to arrest this gentleman no sufficient to handle social media?

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  13. No one should trust a GRZ that gassed its own people……

    and no one should trust a GRZ that spends billions on militarising the police against their own citizens……

    Don’t trust anything or any law that is cooked by lungu and his team …..

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  14. It’s often said in life “the axe cuts both ways”. PF MPs and Supporters may feel protected but they will become victims to this Repressive Law which doesn’t respect Human Rights and Freedoms. If PF MPs vote 4 this Bill they will live to regret it when their Rights are violated by these Election Riggers. A bad law for the Opposition Members is a bad law 4 all. The writing is on the wall.

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  15. Lungu is a tin pot dictator, he is also very dull, I mean 0IQ, the w@nker is the worst president on earth, what a chop dander head and a thief, useless as they come

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  16. Father, uncle, granddad, neighbor Kazier Zulu’s vocabulary leaves much to be desired for a Christian nation. Not even pupils in a primary school with limited vocabulary sink so low as to call others ugly, tribal, dogs, donkeys …
    Your targetd have made tremendous improvements to their weaknesses, when will you? Don’t tell us that’s how you pay the bills.

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  17. This is the result when you look at Cyber security from a social media’s point of view. Cyber security is very wide, if anything social media issues only account for a very small percentage of cyber issues. People, companies, banks, hospitals are losing colossal amounts of money and resources daily through cyber space. Intellectual property rights are being threatened daily, there are other economic, political, national security issues that need cyber law like yesterday. Let us not be myopic and allow our uninformed fears deny the country an opportunity of having such an important law. We are NOT all in politics, there are other spheres of life that matter a lot of other people.

  18. Lesego Angel, the price one pays for consulting sangomas is far beyond what you claim to be enjoying. What shall it profit a man or woman if they gain the whole world and lose their own soul; what can you give in exchange for your soul? If sangomas can bestow lasting wealth why is it that it has not benefited countries and families that practice it?
    In fact you are bringing up a wrong topic.

  19. Why are so fixated on insult in Zed kansi? Let civil litigation take care of that — this includes that archaic and vague “insulting the president” law that continuously wastes judges’ man hours in its adjudication. Step back and appreciate what it means to be a public officer. Allow the electorate who are your servants to express their happiness, displeasure, and other sentiments because you serve at their pleasure. A mambala. There are obvious ones like hate speech or fighting words that we can look into. Noti ivo vimene mwayamba.

    • Tongue-in-cheek. Your servants are also being served by you if you like. In effect they are your bosses until you start behaving like they owe you and you don’t. Just in case winangu sizinamvekele bwino…

  20. PF party and government serious intergrity bankruptcy. Like bill 10, it’s never about Zambians, but always wanting to advantage themselves. What a shame.

  21. A bill which is being hurried just before elections especially knowing the pf kapyongo mindset, we have reason to be concerned. If they are truly seriously about crime first the must take steps towards the cold blood murders and the gassing of the inoccent that have already taken place which cry for justice then we shall believe them.

  22. The Bill should be not see the door of the parliament. People we should refuse to be governed the Ugansa or Chinese way. Zambians we can do better than having a govt wasting resources listening to poor Zambians.

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