Lusaka (AFP)
Zambian President Edgar Lungu said on Friday that he had signed a law criminalizing cybercrime, two weeks after the text was approved by parliament, causing the opposition to fear that the government would use it to silence critical voices before the elections. elections in August.
Lungu signed the law on Tuesday, his cabinet said, adding that the president hoped it would "bring sanity to the way the internet is used in Zambia."
"It's just about protecting citizens from abuse from people who think they can say whatever they want by hiding behind cyberspace," he added.
The law, which allows checks on private computers for "illegal activity", was signed two weeks after the text was passed by parliament.
Interior Minister Stephen Kampyongo had defended the need for this new legislation, explaining that online harassment was on the rise in the country, and targeted both adults and children.
Violators will be fined or even jailed for up to five years.
Bloggers of Zambia executive director Richard Mulonga said the move was "not good for democracy", expressing fears that online media journalists would be particularly targeted.
Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) spokesman Cornelius Mweetwa said the law would allow the authorities "to interfere with people's freedoms before the elections."
Zambia, a landlocked southern African country that has enjoyed relative stability since its first multiparty election in 1991, is called to the polls on August 12 for legislative and presidential elections.
© 2021 AFP