STATE House Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka says cyber laws were initially enacted by the Patriotic Front in 2021, and that the UPND administration has just refined them to protect citizens.
Hamasaka says the cyber laws will actually encourage citizens, especially women, to participate in politics because the provisions protect them from cyberbullying.
Commenting on Lawyer Makebi Zulu’s statement that President Hakainde Hichilema wanted to use the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act to snoop on those who oppose him, Hamasaka said Zulu should tell Zambians why the PF enacted the laws in the first place.
“Makebi was a minister and member of parliament during PF. So he is in a better position to explain why they enacted the law as PF. Let Makebi Zulu tell Zambians why PF enacted this law. The only thing UPND has done is clean it up a bit. You know that we never enacted this law ourselves. This law was enacted by PF. It’s an Act of 2021. So let Makebi as a former MP and minister under Edgar Lungu tell Zambians why they enacted it. So it is not true that the state wants to snoop or target at anybody. Let Makebi just tell Zambians what was their intention of enacting this law. They are the ones who enacted it,” he said.
“Zambians should not fear to comment but they just act legally. If you check, there were so many instances of cyber bullying, especially against women. Someone just wakes up and starts accusing this one of that, this woman is doing this, this man is doing what. Anyone who had some laptop somewhere, you just wake up and start accusing an innocent [person] of something without any proof. We’ve very few women in politics because they fear cyber bullying. There’s nothing to fear”.
When asked whether the cyber laws would indeed encourage more citizens, especially women, to participate in governance issues, Hamasaka responded in the affirmative.
“More can come up. Most of them they fear, including yourself, you fear. But the truth is Zambians must not fear to criticise their government because of the cyber security laws. They are free to raise issues but raise issues within the accepted decorum. And I want to believe that was the reason behind PF enacting this law. Otherwise, I still insist that we didn’t enact this law. Makebi Zulu should tell Zambians why they enacted this law,” said Hamasaka.
