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Zim rights groups fight new law
08/06/2006 10:11 - (SA)
Harare - Zimbabwean rights groups are preparing to fight a new bill that will allow state agents to eavesdrop on private conversations and monitor faxes and emails.
The Interception of Communications Bill was the latest in a series of laws critics said were meant to crush government opponents and emasculate the country's once vibrant independent press.
Irene Petras of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said: "If it is passed, it will be yet another repressive law to further restrict the ability in Zimbabwe to communicate with each other to receive and impart information.
"We will oppose this bill either by litigation or by presenting our submissions to the parliamentary committee on transport and communication."
Zanu-PF rules in Zim
The bill was published on May 27 in the government gazette, the last stop for draft laws before reaching parliament, where President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) enjoyed a majority.
It would establish a "communication centre to intercept and monitor certain communications in the course of their transmission, through a telecommunication, postal or any other related service system".
The minister of transport and communications would also be granted authority under the new legislation to issue an interception warrant to state agents, "where there are reasonable grounds for the minister to believe, among other things, that a serious offence has been, is being or will probably be committed or that there is a threat to safety or national security".
Telecommunication service providers would also be compelled to install devices to enable interception of phone conversations, faxes and emails, a provision that Petras said placed a heavy financial burden on internet service providers.
People feeling unsafe
A manager with an internet service provider who declined to be named said: "If passed into law, the bill will have huge implications on our business because nobody knows to what extent their communication will be monitored. People might end up feeling unsafe using certain means of communications."
In early 2002, Zimbabwe passed a tough media law, which had been invoked to expel foreign correspondents, shut down four independent newspapers including a popular daily renowned for its anti-government stance.
A security law passed around the same time prohibited political gatherings or marches without police clearance.
The Zimbabwe Law Society said that the Interception of Communications Bill was "generally speaking, not an acceptable piece of legislation and ought to be opposed".
The Law Society asked: "What has been the great social need for this legislation and what mischief is sought to be addressed?"
It noted that the bill was in violation of constitutional provisions that provided for freedom to exchange ideas and information.
- AFP
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