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Data Protection in Zimbabwe

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African Data Privacy Laws

Part of the book series: Law, Governance and Technology Series ((ISDP,volume 33))

Abstract

This chapter discusses Zimbabwe’s data protection regime within the context of historical and current socio-economic and political conditions. It also considers societal expectations which place a premium on the protection of personal information as a core human right. This context explains societal concerns about the vulnerability of personal information due to surveillance and monitoring by law enforcement and national security organs. In addition, criminal activity, largely for commercial gain, also compromises personal information. Therefore, the societal context is one of mistrust of data processing, compounded by actual experiences of the compromise of data. This perceived and experienced vulnerability is exacerbated by the fact that there is a general lack of knowledge about existing legal protection of privacy. The legislative framework does little to assuage this vulnerability because it is currently inadequate.

The chapter sketches Zimbabwe’s data protection regime which has extensive constitutional provision for the protection of privacy but currently lacks a comprehensive data protection statute. There are several pieces of legislation that regulate some aspects of privacy. The most notable of these is legislation that regulates data processing by public bodies. However, this current provision of protection for data falls short of international and regionally established data protection principles. Consequently, work has been done towards enacting a comprehensive data protection statute that is informed by of the SADC Model Law on Data Protection.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Ncube and Gray 2015, Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum 2013–2014, Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum 2014.

  2. 2.

    Mazarire 2008, p. 1.

  3. 3.

    Ndlovu-Gatsheni 2009, p. 46.

  4. 4.

    Jennings 1935; Phimister 1988.

  5. 5.

    Mlambo 2014, p. 119.

  6. 6.

    Ibid.

  7. 7.

    Mlambo 2014, p. 151.

  8. 8.

    Lancaster House Agreement, 21 December 1979, available at http://www.zimlii.org/files/Zimbabwe_1_Lancaster_House_Agreement_0.pdf

  9. 9.

    Kagoro 2004, p. 237.

  10. 10.

    Raftopoulous and Savage 2004, Raftopoulos and Mlambo 2008.

  11. 11.

    (Eppel 2004, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) and the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) 1997).

  12. 12.

    Muzondidya 2008.

  13. 13.

    Bowyer-Bower and Stoneman 2000.

  14. 14.

    Kagoro 2004.

  15. 15.

    Mlambo 2014, p. 231, Coltart 2008.

  16. 16.

    Chitsike 2003.

  17. 17.

    Mokhawa 2013.

  18. 18.

    Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum 2013, p. 2.

  19. 19.

    Ibid.

  20. 20.

    The ITU’s Measuring the Information Society Report (2014) 86 ranked Zimbabwe 8th in Africa and 121 globally in its ICT Development Index for 2013. On trends across Africa generally see Borena et al. 2015, p. 3490.

  21. 21.

    Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act, 2013.

  22. 22.

    African Network of Constitutional Lawyers (ANCL), 2012, p. 23; Mashiri 2011.

  23. 23.

    Government of Zimbabwe Government Work Programme (GWP) 2010.

  24. 24.

    The Insiderzim.com, 2015; Maisiri and Hikwa 2013, p. 13.

  25. 25.

    Articles 25–26, Directive 95/46/EC. For a discussion of assessments of African attempts to meet this standard see Makulilo 2013, p. 42.

  26. 26.

    Ibid, p. 78.

  27. 27.

    Maisiri and Hikwa 2013, pp. 12–13.

  28. 28.

    Ibid p. 9.

  29. 29.

    Ibid.

  30. 30.

    Ibid, p. 9–11.

  31. 31.

    Ibid, p. 11.

  32. 32.

    Ibid.

  33. 33.

    Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum 2014.

  34. 34.

    Ibid, p. 7.

  35. 35.

    Ibid, p. 9.

  36. 36.

    Ibid, p. 10.

  37. 37.

    Ibid, p. 24.

  38. 38.

    Ibid, p. 25.

  39. 39.

    Ibid, p. 32.

  40. 40.

    Maisiri and Hikwa 2013, pp. 12–13.

  41. 41.

    Ncube 2004, pp. 1, 3.

  42. 42.

    Ibid, p. 9.

  43. 43.

    For a discussion see Basdeo, 2009, pp. 307–331.

  44. 44.

    Section 32 of the Protection of Personal Information Act protects health information.

  45. 45.

    Limpitlaw 2013, p. 618.

  46. 46.

    Svotwa 2013a.

  47. 47.

    Ncube, p. 13.

  48. 48.

    Section 4(1) AIPPA.

  49. 49.

    Dube 2014, pp. 13–14.

  50. 50.

    Neethling 1998 at 64, 103, 137, 157, 233, 265.

  51. 51.

    Ncube, pp. 11.

  52. 52.

    Ncube, pp. 11.

  53. 53.

    Ibid.

  54. 54.

    Jansen van Vuuren and others NNO v Kruger 1993 (4) SA 842 at 857–858.

  55. 55.

    Rhodesian Printing and Publishing Co Ltd v Duggan and others 1975 (1) SA 590 (Rhodesian Appellate Court).

  56. 56.

    Mineworkers Investment Co (Pty) Ltd v Modibane 2002 (6) SA 512 (W).

  57. 57.

    Section 30(2).

  58. 58.

    Section 30(3).

  59. 59.

    Section 32(1).

  60. 60.

    Section 32(2).

  61. 61.

    Section 32(3).

  62. 62.

    Section 34.

  63. 63.

    Section 36.

  64. 64.

    Section 37.

  65. 65.

    ITU ‘HIPSSA Project’ (ITU; n.d).

  66. 66.

    Ibid.

  67. 67.

    Svotwa 2013b.

  68. 68.

    Ibid.

  69. 69.

    Chetty 2013.

  70. 70.

    Chinhamo v Zimbabwe Admissibility, Comm no 307/2005, 42nd Ordinary Session, 23rd Activity Report (2007), (2007) AHRLR 96 (ACHPR 2007).

  71. 71.

    para 6.

  72. 72.

    Greenleaf and Georges 2014; Makulilo 2015.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Commercial Law, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7707, South Africa

    Caroline B. Ncube

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  1. Caroline B. Ncube
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Correspondence to Caroline B. Ncube .

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  1. Faculty of Law, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Alex B. Makulilo

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Ncube, C.B. (2016). Data Protection in Zimbabwe. In: Makulilo, A. (eds) African Data Privacy Laws. Law, Governance and Technology Series(), vol 33. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47317-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47317-8_5

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