Zimbabwe: MISA Demands Enquiry Over Zanu-PF's ED Texts to Voters

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has demanded the Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) to probe the flooding of unsolicited political short messages services by Zanu PF.

Registered voters have been receiving a flurry of messages on their mobile phones soliciting support for President Emmerson Mnangagwa ahead of general elections this year.

The messages clearly state names and constituencies that prospective voters will cast their votes in.

SMSs asked for individuals to save a particular number before being kept up to date "on all national development issues and matters."

In a letter written by the MISA Zimbabwe national director Tabani Moyo addressed to POTRAZ director general Gift Machengete said there was a clear violation of the law which governs third-party sharing of data.

"There is every reason to believe that the unsolicited texts violate the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Cap 12:07], which governs the use of personal biometric data. The Act states that the use of personal biometric data in this way is prohibited unless the data subject gives consent in writing.

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), as the Data Protection Authority and regulator of the telecommunications industry in accordance with the Cyber and Data Protection Act, 2021 [Chapter 12:071, has oversight on the way that personal data is used. In that regard, MISA Zimbabwe seeks to know how third parties have access to subscriber numbers and are sending unsolicited messages in a possible breach of the law,"

The unsolicited messages stirred a storm with political players and observers accusing the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) of leaking confidential information.

ZEC has since distanced itself from political messages professing ignorance on how data was acquired.

Major network service providers have also distanced themselves from the scandal.

"This has raised more questions than answers on this issue, which is central to our constitutionally provided liberties," Moyo said.

"We hope that your mandate, as spelt out through sections 6, 9 and 13 of the Act, will help in clarifying the matter at hand and that the people of Zimbabwe's right to privacy will remain protected, especially as we are now in the election season, which is generally characterised by high-level contests " read the letter further."

This article originally appeared on New Zimbabwe.