President Mugabe has since confirmed these remarks. While officially opening the Nkulumane Community Information Centre in Bulawayo on 4 November 2017 he said: “We have set up the Cyber Security Ministry to build our own cyber systems to defend ourselves from cybercrime. We are aware that there are some people who use the internet to fight us and implement what they say is regime change. “This is not a first, actually some nations are at an advanced stage in controlling this social media, which is why we thought that Minister Chinamasa as a lawyer can help in controlling our cyber space.” In revealing the dual purpose of the Ministry of Cybersecurity in preventing abuse of social media, and protecting the State’s interests, there has been no reference to the actual cybercrimes or cybersecurity threats faced by Zimbabwe. Summarily, these remarks have escalated free expression on social media to a cybersecurity threat which government took seriously enough to warrant the creation of the responsible ministry. A few weeks after the creation of the Ministry of Cybersecurity, President Mugabe made additional remarks which show the potentially restrictive nature this new ministry will play in the governance of Zimbabwe’s cyberspace. Furthermore, the draft Bill’s long title pays homage to the protection and promotion of fundamental rights. However, some sections of the draft Bill actually infringe on the same fundamental rights. Section 17 of the draft Bill criminalises the publishing of false statements, a provision similar to that contained under Section 31 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act. The constitutionality of Section 31 was challenged in 2015 in the Constitutional Court in the case involving AMH journalist, Nqaba Matshazi but the State was quick to drop the charge, a gesture that in itself was a tacit