According to POTRAZ, 92 additional base stations were commissioned in the 3rd quarter of 2018 bringing the country’s total to 8,622 from 8,570 recorded in the previous quarter. ❖ Cyber Bills The proposed merging of the three cyber bills into one bill has the potential of muddying and undermining other fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Media, Information Communication Technology and Cyber Security on 8 February 2018, the then Minister of ICTs, Supa Mandiwanzira, justified the consolidation of Cybersecurity and Cybercrimes with the draft Data Protection Bill and the Electronic Transactions and Electronic Commerce Bill. He said then all three Bills work to prevent various forms of cybercrime. The decision might also have been inspired by the introduction of an omnibus Cybercrimes Bill in South Africa. MISA Zimbabwe therefore disagrees with the justifications to merge the three cyber bills into one omnibus bill. An omnibus law is a Bill or Act which caters for a number of diverse issues or topics. One such example is the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). AIPPA seeks to regulate diverse topics such as Privacy, Access to Information and Media Regulation under one Act. In the end, AIPPA just briefly touches on each of the rights it seeks to regulate. For example, only seven sections under AIPPA are dedicated to the protection of the right to privacy. This is simply inadequate and unacceptable. Grouping fundamental rights such as the right to privacy, access to information with consumer rights and cyber security into one piece of legislation, has the potential of undermining the protection of those rights. MISA Zimbabwe believes that fundamental rights such as the right to privacy must be protected by a piece of legislation dedicated solely to the protection and promotion of that right. This is why there is need for a standalone Data Protection law in Zimbabwe. This is the case in South Africa, where the introduction of an omnibus Cybercrimes Bill complemented that country’s Protection of Personal Information Act and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act instead of absorbing or repealing them. In saying this we are guided by the three Model Laws produced by SADC which cater for Data Protection, Cybersecurity, and Electronic Transactions, respectively. This was obviously well thought out to ensure each area is regulated by a dedicated in-depth piece of legislation. 17