FPI warns against govt overreach in Cyber Bills
By Tony Nkhoma
THE Free Press Initiative (FPI) has called for the removal of vague provisions in the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Bill to preserve the journalism profession.
Speaking at a Public Forum on the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Bill organised by Chapter One Foundation in Lusaka on Thursday, FPI board member Isaac Mwanza called for the immediate removal of provisions in the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Bill that threaten the thriving of journalism in the country.
”There is a need to remove vague provisions in the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Bill in order to preserve the sanity of the journalism profession. As the Fourth Estate, there is no way a police officer could grab a Journalist’s phone or camera and order them to delete every caption. For what when they are doing their duty? That’s uncalled for,” Mwanza said.
He said some provisions of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Bill that allows journalists to be intimidated should immediately be reversed before the Bill goes for second reading in Parliament on March 18, 2024.
He urged the media to strengthen partnerships with legal institutions so that their rights are not violated by selfish individuals in their discharge of their noble duty.
”There is now way a police officer or any individual can intimidate journalists, slap them and let them go scot free. That means there is no respect for the profession, ” Mwanza said.
He called on law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to respect journalists as they carry out their most important duty of exposing the good and the bad in society.
Mwanza said without effective investigative journalism, the country would have been plunged into chaos.
He expressed happiness that journalists had remained vigilant and abreast in exposing the evil of selfish individuals in society.
Chapter One Foundation executive director Josiah Kalala said Zambia, like many other nations, still faced the challenge of ensuring that its legal framework adequately addressed both the opportunities and risks of the digital age.
Kalala said once finalized, the Bill must ensure that it is built on upholding human dignity, advance equity, social justice, equality, and non-discrimination.
He said the bill should reflect the national values and principles of democracy and constitutionalism, good governance, and accountability.
He emphasized that the concerns raised by Chapter One Foundation and other civil society actors were not about rejecting the cyber legislation in its entirety but rather the advocacy focused on ensuring that the legislation provided the necessary protections against abuse, overreach, and impunity.
”Human rights and democratic governance are not optional considerations in the Bill as they are the bedrock upon which legislation must be built. Chapter One Foundation has consistently called for this depth, urging that legislation be a true reflection of our constitutional aspirations,” Kalala said.
He said the digital rights must be protected with the same vigilance as the rights in the physical world adding that any framework governing cyberspace must be designed to serve the people and not to control them.
” One critical aspect to be addressed in the administration of the Bills when enacted is the independence of law enforcement, there is a need to ensure that law enforcement agencies are not weaponized against dissenting voices or political opponents,” Kalala said.
He commended the government for its willingness to engage with stakeholders on the crucial piece of legislation saying the move was an important step in fostering inclusive governance.
”As the dialogue between government and the civil society organisations that raised issues with the Bills concludes, the responsibility now is our Members of Parliament and the citizens to ensure that legislative authority is exercised in a manner that protects democratic governance, as mandated by our Constitution,” Kalala said.
