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Herald Reporter

The Cyber Security and Data Protection Bill is now heading for a public consultation across the country starting today as Members of Parliament seek to get views from ordinary people, before the Bill is debated in the National Assembly.

The hearings run until Friday.

Three portfolio committees will jointly conduct the hearings as three separate teams.

They are the Committee on Media, Information and Broadcast Services, the Thematic Committee on Peace and Security, and the Committee on Information, Communication and Technology, Postal and Courier Services.

Several meetings have been lined up for today in Bulawayo, Chinhoyi and Masvingo.

The Bill seeks, among other issues, to provide for investigation and collection of evidence of cyber crime and unauthorised data collection and breaches of security rules.

It also seeks to provide for admissibility of electronic evidence for such offences and will also create a technology-driven business environment and encourage technological development and how it should be lawfully used.

Another provision is the establishment of a Cyber Security Centre and a Data Protection Authority and their functions.

“The hearings will be jointly conducted around Zimbabwe by three teams of Senators and members of the National Assembly drawn from three Parliamentary committees with responsibility for the subject-matter of the Bill,” reads a notice from Parliament.

Meetings lined up for today are in Luveve in Bulawayo, Chegutu and Mucheke Hall in Masvingo while tomorrow meetings will be held in Birchenough Bridge, Bindura and Gwanda.

On Wednesday meetings will be held in Nyamandlovu, Mushandirapamwe Hotel in Highfield and Mutare, while on Thursday meetings will be held in St Mary’s Chitungwiza, Mbizo in Kwekwe and Marondera.

On Friday they will be meeting at Parliament Building and Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton and a virtual meeting during the afternoon.

During the meetings, participants will be required to observe the Covid-19 health restrictions such as putting on face masks, social distancing, sanitisation and temperature screening.

Meanwhile, the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Bill sailed through Parliament last Thursday after Senate passed the proposed law.

Some of the amendments made by Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri, included change of the term “liberation war fighter” to “war veteran” for the sake of consistency.