Category: Legislation
ICT Minister says Zimbabwe’s Cybercrime Bill not targeted at campaigns like #ThisFlag, #Tajamuka
In an interview with the BBC, the Minister of ICT Supa Mandiwanzira said it would be wrong to assume that the Cybercrime Bill is targeted at campaigns like #ThisFlag and #Tajamuka.
Zimbabwe’s ICT policy gets cabinet approval as the country prepares for new tech legislation
According to the Minister of ICT, Supa Mandiwanzira, the draft ICT policy was recently approved by the cabinet. This marks a go-ahead from the government and paves way for the policy to become the official framework for the government’s plans relating to Information Technology.
Zimbabweans scream plagiarism after discovery that proposed Cybercrime Bill resembles Lesotho’s draft
Earlier today a number of people on social media were quick to point out the striking similarities that exist between Zimbabwe’s own draft bill and Lesotho’s own Computer Crime and Cybercrime Bill.
Here’s Zimbabwe’s draft Computer crime and Cybercrime Bill
For those citizens who want to understand this piece of legislation and hopefully contribute to its development, or anyone interested in what it actually says on cyber terrorists, phone seizure, extradition and you can download it here.
Extradition emerges in Zimbabwe’s draft Cybercrime Bill – here’s what it means & why it’s easier said than done
It is, therefore, the case that only the most serious crimes such as terrorism, money laundering, human trafficking, drug trafficking, war crimes, genocide and so on really a stand chance when countries seek extradition.
Please note, Zimbabwe’s Cybercrime bill is not yet law and you can still contribute to it
The important thing to note though is that this bill is still a draft and not yet law. The Ministry of ICT which is supposed to present this bill to the Parliament of Zimbabwe is still gathering contributions from all stakeholders before it is presented to the legislature.
Interview – Supa Mandiwanzira clarifies Zimbabwe’s position on social media regulation, responds to corruption allegations
In a recent interview on local radio station Star FM, Supa Mandiwanzira, Zimbabwe’s minister of ICT spoke about how there wouldn’t be any social media regulation unless the need arose – referencing cases of social media abuse that included revenge porn and the encouragement of civil unrest.
AG: ICT Minister Mandiwanzira got loans from POTRAZ without gov approval
With fresh allegations of corruption already being levelled against the ICT Minister Supa Mandiwanzira, it doesn’t do him any good that the Auditor General is now revealing the minister went against governance rules to fund the purchase of vehicles and his Telecel acquisition project. A report by the Auditor General released this week revealed that without Treasury approval, Supa […]
Here’s how ICT can develop Medical Tourism in Zimbabwe
Recently the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe hosted a discussion on the introduction of bond notes in which the Governor had to field a barrage of candid questions and comments from citizens of diverse backgrounds who were unequivocally against the bond notes. In one of his various attempts at rebuttal, Dr. Mangudya said Zimbabweans are not […]
Let’s not kid ourselves, government & policy are necessary pieces of the tech puzzle
While I agree that governments often tend to do things that count for imprudence, the reality of the matter is that while we may not want anything to do with policy makers, the policy makers have everything to do with us and our tech goals.
Zimbabwe needs its own Ministry of the Future, here’s why.
The idea behind a Ministry of the Future is, therefore, a willful attempt by any concerned government to admit it’s made for the past and accept its apparent limitations and begin disentangling itself from the oddity of a traditional government trying to find its way in a rapidly and uncompromisingly changing 21st Century.
Nigerian parly embraces ICT with electronic voting, Zimbabwe still lags behind
The House of Assembly in Nigeria will this week officially adopt electronic voting, according to reports coming out of the West African country. The move towards an e-parliament, as it is being called, will be supported by internet and intranet access and comes after months of lobbying from various stakeholders. Electronic voting, in which records on all the voting that […]
Lessons from East Africa: the dark and ugly side of online gambling
Ordinary Kenyans love sports and direct sports betting so much so that the advent of popular sites such as sportpesa has seen losers committing suicide after losing money for house loans, school fees, etc – while in many other cases, families have reportedly been torn apart by a habit taken too far. Is this something […]
The online gambling experience is already here
This is another article in a small series on technology and the local betting industry In two articles last week, we reported that the spread of fiber-link internet was behind the rapid growth of the local betting industry. We also wrote that once the forthcoming legislation is put in place to allow online gambling, yet […]
Techzim reader poll: bond notes are unwanted
This week, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) ran several public notices on bond notes as inserts in newspapers. Attempting to bring clarity on “the export bonus scheme” backed by bond notes, the inserts basically did a Q&A on the forthcoming injection of fresh liquidity into the economy. Following that development, Techzim carried out a snap survey on our readers to find […]
Drone Regulations in Zimbabwe: 15 Dos and Don’ts
Here is a list that simplifies the contents of Zimbabwe’s draft drone regulations. These are not dos and don’ts in the sense of “best practice” – but are actually what the law allows and does not allow you to do.
Here Are Zimbabwe’s Drone Regulations (Download)
If you’re part of the growing community of Zimbabweans with an interest in drones, you may want to bookmark this article. We have managed to exclusively obtain the latest copy of regulations concerning Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) / Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) – drones – from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe. It is a 31-page document […]
Bond Notes, an untrusted government & the Bitcoin opportunity in Zimbabwe
Earlier today we wrote on how tech can help Zimbabwe in both a short and long term sense in its current predicament of a USD cash shortage and new Bond notes that Zimbabweans are generally very skeptical about. As indicated in that article, the loss of trust is a big factor in Zimbabwe’s cash shortage problem and the Bond […]
Here are Zimbabwe’s new Postal and Telecommunications Quality of Service regulations
Through this new legal instrument which will be enforced by POTRAZ, local telecoms operators are expected to conform to a set of guidelines regarding the standard of service that they should deliver as well as the sort of customer care that they are obliged to offer all users of telecommunications services.
Survey: How do you access health information and service?
A few weeks ago we wrote about how Econet’s Dial-a-Doc service is facing headwinds with the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe. It raises some issues. The MDPCZ’s condemning of health call centers as unethical forms of medical practice effectively shuts the door to other potential players like other MNOs, internet providers, startups or independent doctors who may want to set up such businesses.
Revenge porn laws in Zimbabwe: Parliament considers petition
Zimbabwe’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs will this week be considering a petition to bar “revenge pornography”. Such a law would seek to protect people from having their nude photos or videos leaked (usually by an ex) on the internet or social media platforms like WhatsApp where such material easily goes […]
Cybersecurity, Telemedicine & e-Waste dominate 1st day of e-Tech Africa Conference 2016
The 2016 edition of government’s e-Tech Africa Expo kicked off yesterday at its familiar venue the Harare International Conference Centre. This year, the two-day conference is running on the theme “Creating a Climate for Innovation and Access to Global Markets”.
STEM in Zimbabwe will fail without devolution of government
I attended six schools during my six years of secondary education. I lived in all kinds of conditions and I saw a lot but if there is one thing that stood out, it was the gap that exist between the opportunities to advance for an urban versus a rural school. It is my firm belief […]
POTRAZ has a set of Child Online Protection Guidelines & here’s why they are important
This online presence exposes them to potential threats such as bullying, identity theft, and various forms of online abuse such as exposure to sexual content for grooming purposes, and the production of child sexual materials. Three out of four children online are willing to share personal information about themselves and their family in exchange for goods and services.
Here’s Zimbabwe’s 2015 draft National ICT Policy
We managed to get a copy of the draft policy at the recent Cyber Indaba. The document touches on most aspects that the government has been passionate about when it comes to ICT and how it has the mandate to facilitate the right environment for ICT to flourish as a pillar for national development.
Here are some takeaways from Zimbabwe’s Cyber Indaba
Some of the issues touched on included the cyber crimes statutory matrix in Zimbabwe, the best practices for ICT legislation, a brief review of MISA and DSZ’s position on cybersecurity and cybersecurity resolutions from the Internet Governance Forum.
Some thoughts on Zimbabwe’s Electronic Communications & E-commerce Draft Bill
Firstly, it seeks to promote the legal certainty and enforceability of electronic transactions and electronic commerce. Secondly, the draft Bill seeks to grant legal recognition to electronic communications and writing. Thirdly, the draft Bill is to provide for the legal effect of electronic signatures and secure electronic signatures.
Understanding Zimbabwe’s draft Data Protection Bill
The Bill tries to ensure that whenever an individual’s data is collected, it is only used for the specified purpose and not abused.In the Bill, data is categorised into broad categories, namely personal information, sensitive data and genetic data.