By Tendai Matunhu
Government is working on a cyber-security bill that is meant to secure trust and confidence in the cyber space.
Whilst giving his key note address at an executive breakfast meeting that was organised by Econet Wireless today, where he also launched the National Cyber-security Awareness Month, Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Kazembe Kazembe said, “Our focus on cyber-security as Government is about safeguarding Zimbabwe’s economy and our citizens and making sure we remain open for business and ensuring Zimbabweans are safe online.
“Currently, my Ministry is working on a Cyber-Security Bill which I believe is fundamental in securing trust and confidence in the cyber-space. This initiative is also important for Zimbabwe’s international reputation as a safe place to do business,” he said.
Minister Kazembe highlighted that there has been a growth in internet penetration over the years and that the Government of Zimbabwe is ready to invest in building better infrastructure across the country since the internet has become the cornerstone of business.
“Over the past decade, we have seen a tremendous growth of internet and connectivity within our society. In Zimbabwe, this has been evidenced by the significant increase in internet penetration rates from as low as 31% in 2013 to 62% in 2018.
“There is no doubt that the internet has been an informative tool and today it has become the cornerstone of business full advantage of new technology to drive economic growth, we also need to fully understand and manage the risks in the cyber-space. Likewise, cyber-attacks threaten our economy. They can undermine our strategic and competitive advantages and cost our economy millions of dollars each year.
“The Second Republic, under the leadership of His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa takes the protection of our businesses and economy from this growing threat seriously,” he said.
The National security cyber awareness month is running under the theme ‘Safe Surfing.’
This comes after President Mnangagwa highlighted in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the session of Parliament must consider the cyber-crime and cyber-security bill and the data protection and electronic transactions bill so as to regulate this bill.
