SECTOR 1 Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator. 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 2.6 (2005 = 2.3; 2007 = 2.9; 2009 =3.0) 1.3 There are no laws restricting freedom of expression such as excessive official secret or libel acts, or laws that unreasonably interfere with the responsibilities of media. There are a number of laws that restrict freedom of expression in Zambia. Most recently, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, which was passed in 2009, includes a provision that allows the state to monitor private citizens’ telephone conversations. This law stipulates that information gained in this way can be used in a court of law, but this has not yet happened. In 2009, President Rupiah Banda signed the Non-governmental Organisation Act, which is considered to be highly restrictive by civil society. The act will regulate NGOs in terms of registration and operations. It is feared that the Act could severely affect media organisations such as the Zambian chapter of Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and the Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) as it empowers government to deregister such organisations at any time. As such it could impact severely on media freedom. There are also many older laws, which impact on the media and can potentially restrict freedom of expression. These include certain provisions from laws in the Penal Code, established under the Penal Code Act of 1931, including the Official Secrets Act and the Printed Publications Act. Under Section 53 of the Penal Code, the president is empowered to ban “in his absolute discretion” publications deemed contrary to public interest. Section 67 criminalises the publication of “false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public”. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZAMBIA 2011 13