President Hichilema is being urged not to sign Zambia’s two Cyber Bills recently passed by the legislature as they risk curbing freedoms under the guise of cybersecurity.
This statement was originally published on misa.org on 7 April 2025.
MISA, a regional body comprising chapters in eight Southern African countries, said the two bills fell short of meeting human rights standards.
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has written to Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, urging him not to sign two Cyber Bills that have been presented to him for enactment.
The two bills – the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Bills – were passed by parliament on 31 March 2025. However, MISA, a regional body comprising chapters in eight Southern African countries, said the two bills fell short of meeting human rights standards.
Jeremias Langa, MISA Regional Governing Council chairperson, in a letter delivered to President Hichilema on 5 April 2025, said: “While there is a need to curb cybercrime and enhance cybersecurity, it is important to balance these with human rights concerns and ensure that any legislation is human rights-centric.”
MISA has previously expressed its concern to the legislators and the government that the proposed legislation encourages mass surveillance of citizens and lacks safeguards against human rights abuses.
“As they currently stand, the two Cyber Bills lack strong protections against potential misuse and grant excessive power to the executive branch,” Langa, who is also the chairperson of the MISA Mozambique National Governing Council said.
A particular concern is that Section 21 of the Cyber Security Bill proposes establishing a central monitoring centre. “What is particularly chilling is that the Bills permit police officers to intercept communications, enter premises, and retrieve data without adequate checks and balances, jeopardising civil liberties.”
MISA urged the Zambian government to ensure that where surveillance is necessary, mechanisms such as judicial oversight are established to prevent misuse of surveillance targeting journalists, lawyers, activists, and political opponents. Additionally, MISA advised that any warrants for interception should be time-bound and have clear objectives.
MISA called on President Hichilema to delay enacting the two bills until the human rights concerns have been addressed. “If necessary,” MISA urged, “please refer the laws back to the legislature so it can address the human rights deficit, while also emphasising the need for safeguards to protect citizens from abuse.”
