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By Alec Lushaba | 2021-11-27
Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Themba Masuku has come out to clarify that the Computer Crime and Cyber Crime Bill is not meant to target some Emaswati especially at a time of the on-going unrest. Responding to questions from this publication on the Bill that was piloted by the ministry of information, communications and technology (ICT), Masuku first noted that social media was a very useful tool.
He highlighted that work on the Bill started long before the civil unrest, when then acting ICT Minister Manqoba Khumalo piloted it. He said the stream of information was constant throughout the passage of time, be it useful, damaging and so on. Likewise, he said, the world was adapting accordingly and everyone learns different lessons going forward.
“The real lesson is the realisation that behind every casual or spirited interposition on social media to capture wide audiences, there are well defined interests that seek to establish a particular outcome.
On the one hand, there is a vile, hostile and divisionist agenda, and on the other, a well-meaning, positive posture with meaningful nation building as the main aim,” he said. In the recent period, the DPM noted, there had been unsubstantiated assertions about the Computer Crime and Cyber Crime Bill, piloted by the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (MICT), to seize the narrative that it was meant to target the citizens of Eswatini, by way of pilfering personal information to be used for imaginary purposes of a political nature.
He said government had the unwavering responsibility to bring the country to progressive and steady development, to improve the standard of living of all Emaswati in a holistical manner. “All sectors of the economy must travel at the same pace to make it possible for the citizens of the country to enjoy the benefits of the Tinkhundla System of Government, the mainstay and the best possible opportunity for Eswatini to achieve sustainable development.
Development
“The Computer Crime and Cyber Crime Bill first came into the picture in 2014, solely as a reform tool in the ICT sector. Development partners such as the World Bank, who collaborate with Government on a permanent basis, raised concerns on the pace of digitization in Government systems and the wider economy, in relation to the rest of the world.”
In that sense, he said, the promulgation of the Bill became a requirement to sync the collaborative efforts of government and that of Development Partners. He said as a package, there was also the insistence to bring along the Data Protection and Electronic Transactions Bills to complete the picture of adroit compliance.
However, he said, the real work to seriously consider the passing of the Bill materialised early 2020, with a certificate of urgency, because it had been outstanding for six years already. He said this was before the advent of COVID 19 as a global concern, and let alone the civil situation that only appeared in mid-2021.
Therefore, he said, this explained in clear terms, the lack of correlation between the Bill and its alleged purpose of nefarious utility. “To briefly put the nation on the picture, the Ministry of ICT piloted the Bill and it was debated in the House of Assembly upon careful consideration by the relevant portfolio committee led by Honourable MacFord Sibandze. Stakeholders engaged by Parliament include the main operators of ICT, Banking sector, Police, Law Society, Media Consortium, Consumer Association, Cango Educational Institutions and other individual end users.
“Parliamentarians were also inducted through a workshop to assist in understanding better the benefits of the Bill. As a representative democracy, the House considers measureable views on behalf of the people who give the political mandate.
The recent consideration of this Bill by Senate completes involvement of Parliament in the process and on Monday 22nd November 2021, it was brought back to the House of Assembly for its last consideration before assent by His Majesty King Mswati III. This information also reveals the mistruth that this Bill was only considered by Senate,” he added.
Masuku pointed out that government strongly warned the perpetrators and crusaders of misinformation to scale down the vitriol. He said peddling lies and misinformation within society would not achieve anything. On the contrary, he concluded, it would worsen the situation that would lead to protracted negativity.
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