The Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal, and
Courier Services (ICTPCS) of Zimbabwe, Tatenda Mavetera has refuted recent
claims regarding penalties of USD 2500 for WhatsApp group administrators. The
Minister addressed the spread of misinformation suggesting that the government
intended to impose fines or licensing requirements on social media group administrators,
emphasizing that such rumors are entirely unfounded.
Hon. Mavetera categorically distanced herself from these
allegations, clarifying that there are no plans to penalize administrators of
WhatsApp or other social media platforms unless they collect and process
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for commercial purposes. She
explained that PII encompasses any data that can uniquely identify an
individual, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, passport details, and
national ID numbers.
The Minister urged the public to disregard this false information,
describing it as inconsistent with Zimbabwe’s current legal framework,
particularly Statutory Instrument (SI) 155 of 2024 under the Cyber and Data
Protection (Licensing of Data Controllers and Appointment of Data Protection
Officers) Regulations. SI 155 mandates licensing requirements only for entities
that handle PII for commercial or business purposes, and social media groups
that do not engage in such activities are not subject to these regulations.
Hon. Mavetera reiterated that her recent LinkedIn post was
misinterpreted, stressing that she never expressed intentions to regulate or
penalize WhatsApp groups or other social media administrators who do not engage
in data collection for commercial purposes. The post was intended to promote
transparency and assure citizens of the government’s commitment to data
protection while dispelling myths around excessive regulation.
She assured the public that the Ministry of ICTPCS remains
dedicated to enhancing digital access, cyber security, and data protection
across Zimbabwe. "Our commitment is to accelerate cyber and data
democratisation and security, ensuring no one and no place is left offline,”
she affirmed.
By:
Nana Appiah Acquaye
