The diaspora vote count is continuing, VV achieves the 53rd term, PDK remains at 22, LDK falls to 18
2 hours agoFunny, Zimbabwe forms the Ministry of Whatsap (Photo)
Periskopi(9 years ago)
(9 years ago)A fraudulent government report hit social media after President Robert Mugabe announced he had established a new Ministry for Digital Security, Discovering Threats and Relief. The Zimbabvians responded with humor to the letter, falsifying the signing and ID of the new cyber minister, Patrick Chinamasa, and instructed all members [...]
Zimbabvians reacted with humor to the letter, which falsified the signing and ID of new cybers Minister Patrick Chinamasa é and instructed all members of the RepublikaAppit Ministry to register, reports “BBC”, report Periscope.
The letter was signed by “Cyber Powers based on me (it's about Minister Chinamas)”.
But the jokes have since calmed down and the Zimbavians are now considering what the new ministry means for their civil liberties, especially freedom of speech.
Zimbabwe's government has been worried about social media after pastor Evan Mawaarire led the movement #ThisFlag last year.
Using platforms like Titter and Facebook organised a demonstration of stay at home, the largest anti-government protest in a decade.
The spokesman for Mugabe's president, George Charamba, came up with the idea of a new ministry dealing with a <x0 increased threat to the state... a threat based on abuse and illegal behaviour”.
Social media are probably the main platform for Zimbabvians to communicate and get news. It is flourishing despite restrictive laws regulating freedom of expression.
When you go from Minister of Finance to national whatsapp admin. Pic.twitter. com/9 g insultBBNW82
) Cynic (@CynicHarare) prophet October 9, 2017
Now who did this?#ZibambaweThere's a new minister of Cyber Security, Three Detective and Mitigation. Pic.twitter. com/ Ahp KB1Do9o
(@Reagan Mashavave) October 9, 2017
2/2 Cyber crime is real in #Zibambawe So Govt has to protect Critical Information Infrastructures.
(@Letty Mabhena) October 11, 2017
#ZibambaweThe new Ministry of Cyber Security, Three Development and Mitigation is an ominous signal for internet freedom as election application. Pic.twitter. com/ Stevqg H8JM
) Doug Coltart (@DougColtart) October 9, 2017
Over the past 16 years, internet use in the country has increased from 0.3% to 46%, the International Telecommunication Union data (ITU) shows.
Some television stations and online publications, some operating from the diaspora, use the internet to distribute news beyond government opportunities.
Moving forward, Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says the government's new ministry of cyber threat is a tool for the government to spy on its people.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai also believes the ministry is created to curb the free speech in time for polls in 2018.
“Mugabe... will do everything necessary to control social media in order to suppress public discontent against his regime”, he said.
“Yet the good news is that the regime does not have the capacity to print social media use”, he added.
Many Zimbabvian have responded with news about creating a cyber ministry, referring to Chinamas as “Minister of FhatsApp”.
While some countries around the world have cybercrime departments and agencies, Zimbabwe is among the first to establish such a ministry. /Periscopi/
