ZIMBABWE may suffer an internet shutdown in the 2023 general election, just like Uganda and Zambia in 2021. In 2019, Freedom House rated Zimbabwe as a “not free” country with a 28% global freedom score after the President Emmerson Mnangagwa-led administration shut down the internet for over a week.
The Information deputy minister at the time, Energy Mutodi, stated that the court’s ruling, which ended the shutdown amid the January protest, was not in defence of the plaintiff’s constitutional rights and that the internet shutdown was not illegal.
The government’s stand depicts an administration willing to trample on citizens’ rights without remorse.
Civil society organisations should teach citizens how to use digital technology to counter any possible internet restrictions.
Also, internet censorship tech-producing organisations should state caveats for any attempts to impede citizens’ online freedom.
The caveats should not just be for Zimbabwe alone, but for other countries that may try to restrict internent access in future.
Under the pretext of tackling money laundering and financial terrorism by non-State actors, the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Amendment Bill awaits Mnangagwa’s signature.
The Bill will empower the government to regulate non-State actors that carry out criminal activities under the guise of charity, according to Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.
- In Full: eighteenth post-cabinet press briefing June 28, 2022
- Harvest hay to prevent veldfires: Ema
- Pomp and fanfare at Pastor Mukariri album launch
- Car hire caught in sungura euphoria
Keep Reading
But analysis revealed that the Bill, in hindsight, will obstruct civil society organisations from checkmating political activities. If implemented, non-State actors become powerless in any subsequent policy that may not favour the citizens.
This recent move has heightened fear of a shutdown during the coming election.
Efforts to sensitise citizens to use digital tools like virtual private networks (VPNs) are reasonable countermeasures.
The Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa tweeted guidelines on using VPNs in January 2019 and promptly responded to inquiries. The sensitisation increased VPN-related searches in Zimbabwe by 1 500% in 2019, according to the UK-based BestVPN.com.
Before the next Zimbabwe election, civil society organisations should collectively increase orientation on how to use shutdown-circumvention apps.
Other digital tools that can preserve recorded footage for documentation should also be encouraged. Tools like ProofMode and eyeWitness to Atrocities provide footage’s metadata and authenticated technical information that helps human rights activists monitor and report violations.
Such tools become helpful in cases of an unlawful clampdown. For instance, Ukraine reported more than 20 000 human rights violations from Russia during the ongoing war to the UN using eyeWitness to Atrocities.
The African Union (AU) should condemn recent internet shutdown trends in Africa. In 2021, Nigeria lost more than US$1,1 billion after banning Twitter for 222 days. This loss did not deter other governments from following suit in 2022. Between January and August, sub-Saharan Africa lost about US$244,2 million to internet access restrictions. Such restrictions hinder the telecommunications industry from generating revenue that could positively contribute to the continent's economy.
The continental body should emphasise how a possible internet shutdown opposes its social and human capital development objectives. Government should protect freedom of expression and constructive criticism in Zimbabwe. Only through this can Zimbabwe be open for business as the President desires.
Also, some countries use sophisticated equipment to regulate connections to selected websites and online platforms to quell dissent. Through censorship technology like deep packet inspection equipment (DPI), the government interrupts the internet without directly ordering network service providers.
But this move has done little to ease citizens’ grievances, as seen in Egypt during the Arab Spring.
Rather than reduce the agitations, it spurred the aggression till Hosni Mubarak — the President — resigned.
Companies producing DPI equipment should monitor its usage. Since freedom is vital, companies can ensure strict adherence to such via terms and conditions for procurement.
In cases of violation, such companies can retract their agreements like the US-Canadian-based Sandvine Inc did when Belarus manipulated its service to interrupt the internet during the election in 2020.
Efforts by the Zimbabwean government to gain unfettered powers through the PVOs Amendment Bill are detrimental to citizens’ fundamental human rights.
But proactive civil society organisations can enlighten the people to preserve their progressive freedom.
Africa awaits tangible actions from the AU on online independence. Irrespective of the financial implications, tech-producing companies should advocate for digital freedom.
Zimbabweans should prepare against any internet restriction attempt before the election begins.
