adminClemence Manyukwe in Harare
THE government is crafting a Cyber Security Bill that will empower authourities to fight cyber crimes, the director of ICT Services in the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Beaullah Chirume has said.
In a presentation here on Tuesday at a media workshop on the Client Service Compendium and complaints handling mechanism organised by the Office of the President and Cabinet, Chirume said government was also embracing the use of social media in communicating with citizens, but there was need to come up with guidelines on its use by ministries.
“The Cyber Security Act is in the process of being developed. The issue of cyber security will take care of those,” she said in response to a question from a participant who had raised issues on the possible exploitation of children through the use of social media.
Increasing numbers of people in Zimbabwe have fallen victim to online crime as cyber criminals update their technologies making it difficult for existing laws to catch up with them.
Cyber crime takes various forms that include electronic money laundering, electronic vandalism, terrorism, extortion, hacking and illegal interception of telecommunications, which violates individual privacy.
At the same workshop, the senior principal director in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) Ambassador Mary Mubi said the government is working on modalities to establish a Presidential hotline for use by people with serious complaints that need to be addressed.
She added that other complaints platforms are being established within ministries to address public concerns. Ambassador Mubi said the mechanism for addressing complaints include the need for ministries to have toll-free numbers, ensuring that application forms for government departments can be downloaded on the internet instead of people travelling to government offices to access them as well as posting standard questions and answers on the websites of ministries.
Online Reporter