(Last Updated on August 23, 2020 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – The enactment of the Cybersecurity and Data Protection Bill is now at an advanced stage and Government will soon be able to use some of the Bill’s provisions to ensure a safer cyberspace for citizens.
Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Jenfan Muswere, said this while launching the Mashava Community Information Centre (CIC) on Friday.
“As a ministry, we are pleased to note that the enactment of the Cybersecurity and Data Protection Bill is now at an advanced stage, and we will soon be able to make use of the provisions of that Bill to ensure a safer cyberspace for all Zimbabweans,” said Dr Muswere.
Permanent Secretary for ICT, Postal and Courier Services Engineer Sam Kundishora said Parliament had sent the Bill to provinces for public hearings and the consultations were done in Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces.
Parliament’s portfolio committee on ICTs is now condensing the inputs that came from the people.
“So when Parliament sits again, we expect that the committee will present the summary of the findings and that will be it, we expect that the Bill will be out,” said Eng Kundishora.
Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) director-general Dr Gift Machengete, recently told the World Summit on the Information Society that Zimbabwe was strengthening its information and knowledge society.
The use of technology has accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has demanded that people practice social distancing, resulting in the wider use of ICTs to conduct meetings and work from home.
In line with the drive to ensure marginalised communities get access to ICTs, Potraz donated computers to schools in Masvingo Province, which would be used for research and access to the internet.