Government crafts data protection Bill Minister Supa Mandiwanzira
Minister Supa Mandiwanzira

Minister Supa Mandiwanzira

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE government has no intention of banning social media but will regulate it to prevent cyber bullying and character assassination, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Addressing journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club on Thursday, the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology and Courier Services, Supa Mandiwanzira, said social media was important in promoting development but some were abusing it.

He said the government was working on a Data Protection Bill, the E-commerce Bill and Cyber Security Bill as part of the reforms.

“We’ve no intention as government to ban social media. I think there has been a misunderstanding of what we intend to do in terms of social media. We think social media is good for development, for the exchange of ideas, for interaction of society as well as for business development. We think that it must be promoted and protected and that its use must be encouraged. But for it to remain a respectable platform for doing business, for exchanging ideas, for interaction, it should be protected against those who abuse it,” said Mandiwanzira.

The Minister said the government, through the Ministry of ICT and Courier Services, was pushing for a national ICT policy through Cabinet. He said as soon as it is approved, an avenue to introduce the new laws would have been opened.

Mandiwanzira said the country’s citizens should be protected from cyber bullies and regulating social media would allow for that.
He said citizen journalists have undermined social media through malicious attacks.

“Media freedom and press freedom are guaranteed but there are other things that they aren’t allowed to do under that freedom, which include obviously the malicious injury to other people’s reputation, integrity and denigrating people without any particular reason.

Therefore as a media platform we think social media needs to be regulated not banned. We’re worried about its abuse not its use,” Mandiwanzira said.

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