• Sensitization on Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act as well as Electronic Communications and Transactions Act went very well.
• All the provinces have been visited.
• ZICTA does not have powers to arrest or prosecute anyone.
Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) says it has extended sensitizations on the newly enacted Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act as well as Electronic Communications and Transactions Act to law enforcement agencies.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, ZICTA Corporate Communications Manager Ngabo Nankonde said this is because the Authority does not have powers to arrest or prosecute anyone who goes against the law.
And Ms. Nankonde stated that ZICTA has continued raising awareness on the newly enacted laws and has since visited all the provinces.
“Sensitization on Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act as well as Electronic Communications and Transactions Act went very well. We visited all the provinces, and the only one remaining is Central and now we are trying to monitor the situation following the increase in Covid-19 cases. We sensitized a number of stakeholders including heads of government departments, NGOs and other CSO representatives.”
“We also had sessions with law enforcement agencies. This is because ZICTA does not have powers to arrest or prosecute anyone, the police arrests and at the point of investigation that is when they involve us for technical support that is why we had to sensitize law enforcers as well,” Ms. Nankonde said.
She added that being a Postal and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Regulator, ZICTA is mandated to inform consumers and other stakeholders on any new laws that fall under its jurisdiction.
“We are a postal and ICT regulator, and so when we have laws under our mandate we need to inform consumers and other stakeholders,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nankonde called on the media to take a leading role in raising awareness on the new laws so that people understand them fully.
The Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Bill was assented into law by President Edgar Lungu, on 24 March 2021 and consequently enacted into law by the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No. 2 of 2021 on 1st April 2021.
The purpose of the Cyber Act is, amongst other things is to provide for cyber security in Zambia, ensure protection of persons against cyber-crime, and to provide for the collection and preservation of evidence of computer and network related crime.