Government Threatens To Turn Off Internet, Again
The government has threatened to turn off the internet if citizens “abuse” the service to “mislead and misinform” voters around Thursdays’ elections, despite a previous promise to maintain the free flow of information.
In a statement to the press, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has said it “will not hesitate to invoke the relevant legal provisions if some people decide to abuse the internet to peddle falsehoods that could destabilise the country during this time of elections.”
This suggests that the government will restrict Zambians’ access to the internet at a time when freedom of information is crucial for helping people to vote. It contradicts a previous statement only last week, when the government said it was “committed” to preserving connectivity during the election period.
Over the past few weeks there has been major speculation over the possibility of an internet shutdown, with a government source claiming last Thursday that President Lungu would instigate a total internet blackout on election day, lasting until at least the following Saturday.
This in turn followed statements by MTN and Airtel - the country’s two largest telecommunications providers - that they could not rule out complying with a government directive to restrict internet access. MTN told South African newspaper The Daily Maverick that a shutdown remained a “last resort”.
On Thursday, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined 41 other human rights organisations in a letter to President Lungu, calling on him to ensure internet and digital communications remain uninterrupted throughout the election period. The letter noted reports of at least two days of internet shutdowns following the 2016 election.
Free access to the internet is vital in any election but particularly during this pandemic year, when parties are restricted in their campaigning activities and more reliant on social media to broadcast their message. The internet is also crucial for informing citizens about how and where to vote, as well as providing infrastructure for election monitors and those conducting parallel vote tabulations.
In July, Open Zambia wrote to both MTN and Airtel, urging the networks to commit to keeping the internet on this election. So far neither company has issued a statement promising to safeguard Zambia’s democracy. Both networks have the money and resources to resist government pressure and ensure that the internet stays on this election.
We have also launched a petition to pressure these companies into upholding Zambians’ digital rights. So far it has received over 1,848 signatures. Please consider signing if you haven’t already.
SIGN HERE: http://chng.it/WBc5MWKZ