MISA And Its Army Of Lawyers Agree With Us: The Order To Shutdown The Internet Was Not Lawful

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Early today we published our opinion on whether the internet shutdown was lawful or not. Econet’s Strive Masiyiwa claims that his companies were following a legal directive issued in terms of the law when they shutdown Zimbabwe’s internet.

I could not disagree more, while it is true that Zimbabwe’s government forced Econet and others to shutdown the internet, despite the government’s lame claim that it was congestion, Mr Masiyiwa’s claim that this was done in terms of the law is of the law is just to put mildly is not true. The legal instrument Econet and allegedly its lawyers say the government used to shutdown the internet does not remotely allow for this.

We are not lawyers but a lot of lawyers including those from the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) agree with our reading of the law:

16 January 2019

Attention: Honourable Minister Owen Ncube

Minister of State in the President’s Office for National Security
Chaminuka Building
5th Street
Harare

Dear Sir,

Re: WARRANT IN TERMS OF THE INTERCEPTION OF COMMUNICATIONS ACT [CHAPTER 11:20] — SUSPENSION OF INTERNET SERVICES

1. We refer to the above matter and hereby write in that regard at the instance of our clients:
1.1. Columbus Mavhunga, and
1.2. Godwin Mangudya, and
1.3. Philemon Jambaya, and
1.4. ‘The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA),

who are all aggrieved by the ongoing nationwide internet shutdown in Zimbabwe.

2. The individuals listed above (Mangudya, Mavhunga and Jambaya) are Zimbabweans who are duly accredited journalists and whose profession heavily hinges on access to the internet. On the internet platform, these journalists access the information that is needed for them to effectively carry out their duties, and on the same platform they disseminate information in the form of news stories, features and other forms of journalistic output.

3. MISA is a local Trust duly registered in terms of the laws of Zimbabwe operating as a non-governmental organisation primarily to promote free, independent, diverse and pluralistic media, as envisaged in Section 61 of the Constitution Zimbabwe. Further they work to promote access to information in terms of Section 62 of the Constitution.

4. As stated in the aforegoing, our clients strongly object to the ongoing closure of all internet services, officially acknowledged through Econet Wirless (our client’s service provider) in a bulk SMS message sent out to clients this morning — Wednesday 16th January 2019. ln that message, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Limited announced thus:

“Further to a warrant issued by the Minister of State in the President’s Office for National Security through the Director General of the President’s Dept, acting in terms of the Interception of Communications Act, Internet Services are currently suspended across all networks and Internet Services Providers.

We are obliged to act when directed to do so and the matter is beyond our control. All inconveniences are sincerely regretted “

5. We have perused the Interception of Communications Act [Chapter 11:251 carefully and cannot find anything in that statute that would authorize such blanket interference with an essential means of communication in the manner you have proceeded.

6. In particular, our considered view is that the Act is applicable only as far as “listening, recording or copying” of telecommunication systems or radicommunicaton systems and “reading and copying” in respect of communications by post. It is our view that there is no provision in the Act that empowers the Minister to issue a blanket warrant that suspends/shuts down internet services throughout the country.

7. Such conduct is a clear violation of universal fundamental rights recognised by various Internation Law Instruments and in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, including the right to freedom of expression and freedom of the media, and the right of access to information.

8. In addition, it goes without saying that the ongoing nationwide shutdown of internet services has wider grave implications on Zimbabwean society in general, for example;

8.1. Schools cannot efficiently call back all their staff and pupils;
8.2. The banking system has been crippled and therefore people are unable to transact;
8.3. Businesses generally cannot transact;
8.4. The justice delivery system has been hampered; and
8.5. Our clients are unable to disseminate information essential to people’s safety and security, particularly in the context of the current situation as they have no access to their e-mails and other internet services.

9. As long as you, in your capacity as Minister, allow the unlawful warrant to stand with all access to e-mails and other Internet services blocked, the Government’s mantra that “Zimbabwe is open for business” would be significantly undermined.

10. In addition to being ultra vires the Act and the afore-mentioned rights, the nationwide shutdown of all internet services is in violation of section 68 (1) of the Constitution in that it amounts to administrative conduct which is not lawful, efficient, reasonable, proportionate, impartial and both substantively and procedurally fair.

11. We now that the Act authorises you to revoke a warrant, and the present circumstances require that this be IMMEDIATELY done.

12. As a result of the afore-said, we have been instructed to demand, as we hereby do;

12.1. the immediate revocation of the warrant; and
12.2. a copy of the warrant, and
12.3. your written assurance that there will be no further shutdown/suspension of internet services.

13. We further advise that if the above is not done PROMPTLY, we have been instructed to proceed to institute legal proceedings without further notice to you.

Yours Faithfully

ATHERSTONE & COOK

CC – Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Limited

CC – The President’s Office (The Director General of the President’s Department)

CC – The Minister of Information, Communication and Technology

CC – Attorney General of Zimbabwe

 

12 comments

  1. Msoja

    Strive’s a sellout too. I don’t know how much does he get from his criminal brothers by deceiving millions of his loyal customers of network. Actually he owes all d Econet customers. He must pay. So we see if he wud stand by his stupid excuse so called law.
    We know it’s all political games thy all play with pple’s lives. Its unfortunate we’re siting with a gvt of criminals who don’t care abt anyone except their pockets at d expense of d masses.
    We’ll continue to hope for a new Zimbabwe with a different leadership n it’ll come with d military bullying civilians door to door. Killing innocent people n threatening d economy. Which leads us to d nxt question.
    How does Strive Masiyiwa sponsor criminals who go around injuring n killing d same pple who supports his business? Does he make money from legitimate business or in association with criminals? How did he become a billionaire in a country that’s 98% unemployment with no manufacturing company in existence?
    Maybe we need to set a commission of inquiry to find out how did Zim billionaires made money in this dare situation.
    I mean even d gvt’s struggling to pay its employees. Gvt fails completely to provide basic services.

    1. Anonymous

      Strive does not own telone, telecel and netone and africom,powertel and everyone else who shut down the internet.

  2. Easy Tech

    Go to hell you and MISA, the person who lost his life, or who lost his goods in their shops they had rights too, which were violated, so your right to write or access nonsense doesn’t override others Rights.

    1. Sharia

      Yeah right and this govt killed 6 civilians in cold blood on 1st Aug last year…..It’s a pity that those who voted back and support this bunch into office do not contribute a cent to its upkeep!! We’ll see how that pans out.
      Basically the feeding trough is now too small for the numeorus snouts …. and on the other end is a growing number of angry, hungry, desperate and daring citizens who have lost any hope or trust in those purportedly “in power” but powerless to make sensible simple decisions.

  3. Anonymous

    I dont think it was fair to cc econet only , they r not the only mno in the country, netone, telecel telone everyone shut down

  4. Skara Mucci

    The real culprit is the animal called potraz stuffed by ignorant and overpaid people.

    1. Easy Tech

      Handisati ndaona munhu ane jerasi rakadai, ucharoya iwe.
      Campaign ,be an MP , go to parliament, make laws and change Potraz, its just like Zimra , rbz zera etc, its a statutory body,

      Don’t show your stupidity here,

  5. Tambudzai

    In order to restore peace and order this was a good move

    1. Skarra Mucci

      Let’s see how long this “peace and order” will hold against a backdrop of escalating prices, rising anger, hunger desperation and daring by citizenry!! Even soldiers and police need food, rest and bus fare?

  6. Tambudzai

    People outside Zimbabwe were posting messages that encourage violence. Even if it was chamisa who was in power he would have done the same thing

  7. Admire

    Econet can i have my money back , i hv sbscrib my daily bundle the very day yu dsconect yo internet , without say anythng but wen t comes pakuti mukutengesa kwese yu daily call n sent us 1000 of masgs , return our mny

  8. Anonymous

    This is terrible

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