IN a digital age fraught with cyber threats, Zambia, like any modern nation, must craft legislation to protect its digital infrastructure. But cybersecurity must never become a Trojan horse for authoritarianism.
The Cyber Security Bill 2024 and the Cyber Crimes Bill 2024, in their current form, risk doing just that. They are dangerously poised to chip away at fundamental rights, placing disproportionate power in the hands of the state without adequate checks, balances, or oversight.
Chapter One Foundation and its civil society partners have not opposed the need for cybersecurity legislation. Quite the contrary—they’ve repeatedly called for laws that respond to modern digital threats without undermining Zambia’s hard-won democratic freedoms.
Yet despite earlier consultations and the government’s limited concessions, these Bills remain riddled with vague language, unchecked discretionary powers, and toothless oversight mechanisms. If passed in their current state, they will hand the government a digital cudgel that could be used to silence dissent, invade privacy, and stifle free speech—all under the guise of national security.
This is not a technical disagreement over legal wording. It’s a fundamental question of what kind of country Zambia aspires to be. Will we build institutions that protect both security and freedom, or ones that weaponize fear to erode the very rights that define democracy?
President Hakainde Hichilema now stands at a constitutional crossroads.
As Head of State, he has the authority—and the moral obligation—to stop these flawed Bills from becoming law.
His role is not to rubber-stamp legislation, but to ensure that laws uphold the Constitution and safeguard the rights of every citizen. Signing these Bills without deeper scrutiny would be a betrayal of Zambia’s democratic promises.
Let us be clear: rejecting these Bills in their current form is not a rejection of cybersecurity. It is a demand for better legislation—laws that are smart, effective, and rights-respecting.
We urge the President to withhold assent and send these Bills back for comprehensive revision. Zambia deserves laws that defend both our networks and our freedoms.
The nation is watching. Civil society is ready to continue the dialogue. The moment calls for courage and conviction.
President Hichilema must rise to that challenge—and protect not just the cyberspace, but the very soul of Zambia’s democracy.
