New Zimbabwe law will allow phone, e-mail spying

New Zimbabwe law will allow phone, e-mail spying

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By Staff Reporter

THE Zimbabwe government plans to push legislation through parliament to permit it to monitor telephones and e-mail messages, reports said on Friday.

The Interception of Communications Bill is due to be debated by parliament soon, said the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper.

Parliament is dominated by President Robert Mugabe's party, so most government-drafted legislation gets passed very easily.

The bill "seeks to empower the chief of defence intelligence, the director general of the Central Intelligence Organisation, the commissioner of police and the commissioner general of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority to intercept telephonic messages passed through fixed lines, cellular phones and the internet," said the Independent.

According to the paper, the bill -- if passed -- would also allow state agents to open mail.

In recent years, Mugabe's government has passed a raft of strict and highly controversial legislation, including the Public Order and Security Act and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which says that all reporters must be licensed.

Mugabe says that Zimbabwe's sovereignty is under threat from Western powers. But critics say he wants to limit freedom of expression.

Less than two years ago, the Zimbabwean president spoke about the need for a security law "meant to bolster the security of our nation".

Quoting legal papers, the Independent said the new bill seeks to allow the transport and communications minister to issue a warrant for the interception of information "if there are reasonable grounds for the minister to think that an offence has been committed or that there is a threat to safety or national security of the country".

It was not immediately possible to get a copy of the bill. -- Sapa-dpa
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