from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia Bureau
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – ZAMBIA has divided the battle against cyber criminality between the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security as well as the Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA).
Under the proposed new Cyber Crimes Bill and Cyber Security Bill, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security will take charge of cyber crimes.
ZICTA will be in charge of cyber security.
Felix Mutati, the Minister of Science and Technology,said the current setup where ZICTA was handling both cyber crimes and cyber security was not enough because the regulator could not enforce the law and arrest culprits.
Mutati said in the new laws to repeal the Cyber Crimes and Cyber Security Act, the government had resolved that the regulator ZICTA would concentrate on cyber security.
He was speaking at a meeting with the Swedish Ambassador, over the Security Bills, which is before Parliament.
AThe minister was speaking to Swedish Ambassador to Zambia, Johan Hallenborg, who paid him a courtesy visit.
Mutati said the government has decided to separate the law into two in order to promote efficiency.
He said the current legislation put ZICTA in an awkward situation where it is sensitising on cyber crimes and also conducting enforcement.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security has the legal mandate to enforce the law and arrest wrongdoers,” Mutati said.
Hallenborg said Sweden aimed to work with Zambia on this front and would also collaborate on the repealing of the Cyber Crimes and Cyber Security Act.
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) aims to collaborate with a number of Zambian institutions in research and development.
SIDA Research Advisor, Markus Moll, said the institution was ready to work with the National Science and Technology Council to further research which can promote development.
– CAJ News