Data protection is the new game changer’

Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
Data protection is the new game changer across the globe, Secretary for Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Dr Beaullar Chirume has said.

Dr Chirume was speaking at the stakeholders’ engagement meeting on the implementation of the Cyber and Data Protection Act.

“As you are all aware, the Government of Zimbabwe promulgated the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter12:07] in 2021,” she said.

“That was an important milestone achieved as it aligned our practices to SADC model law on data protection and international prerequisites and best practices.

“It ensured that we would not be left behind as the SADC region, the African Union community, the European Union bloc and the world at large have already made strides in legislating and enforcing cyber and data protection in their jurisdictions.”

She said the country has been playing catch up for over two decades and therefore there is a lot of work to do.

“We can benchmark from what was done before,” she said.

Dr Chirume said the Cyber and Data Protection Act brought with it more freedom and protection for the Zimbabwean citizenry.

She said the Act calls for responsibility, accountability, and transparency in the processing of personal data.
“Every Zimbabwean is a data subject and as such has a right to privacy as enshrined in Section 57 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” said Dr Chirume.

“In light of this, the Cyber and Data Protection Act is one of the ICT governance tools adopted by the Government to operationalise this important constitutional provision. Every stakeholder must partner with the Government in this noble cause of promoting safe data processing practices in Zimbabwe.”

Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) director-general, Dr Gift Machengete said data protection is a compliance issue that requires the attention of boards and management.

“Businesses face significant reputational damage if perceived to be non-compliant with laws and non-compliance with data protection regulations can result in mandatory audits and issuance of non-compliance orders,” he said.

“Fines and imprisonment for such crimes are up to seven years. Poor management of data security can lead to operational disruptions, and potential liabilities arising from lawsuits.”