Story by Fairstars Mukungurutse
GOVERNMENT has emphasised the need for public sector organisations to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the Cyber and Data Protection Act to accelerate digital transformation in the country.
The Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services hosted a sensitisation engagement in Harare this Tuesday, with the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Beullah Chirume emphasising the need for robust data governance and compliance within government ministries, departments and agencies.
“Every day, government entities process vast amounts of sensitive personal and institutional data that must be safeguarded against breaches, misuse and cyber threats. The trust that citizens place in our systems depends on how well we protect their information. As government institutions, we have a responsibility to set the highest standards in data privacy and security. This requires appointing data protection officers in ministries and agencies, developing robust security policies, training employees on data handling best practices and adopting secure technologies that protect citizens’ information,” Dr Chirume said.
Deputy Director for the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), Mr Alfred Marisa highlighted that public sector sensitisation is critical for the advancement of the country’s digital agenda.
“The main purpose of this workshop is to sensitise the public sector with regard to the Cyber and Data Protection Act. We believe that they are lagging as a public sector in terms of implementation of the act. Government departments collect a lot of personal information and hence, there is a need for us to ensure that they have sufficient safeguards in terms of protecting that information which is collected within government,” he said.
Enacted in 2021, the Cyber and Data Protection Act seeks to build a secure and resilient digital economy, while aligning the country with international standards.
