By Evance Chisiano
Blantyre, March 2, Mana: Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has engaged civil society organisations (CSOs) in Blantyre to discuss the advocacy role of the CSOs on legislations that should protect consumers from cyber theft, bullying and other forms of online injustice that negatively impact on other people’s rights.
MACRA and the CSOs from the southern region met over the weekend at Sunbird Mount Soche Hotel where the authority’s Director General Daud Suleman said there was need for the CSOs to understand digital laws so that they should push for policies for inclusive digital regulations to protect citizens against growing offences on various digital platforms.
“We have responsibility per law to take a leading role in creating stronger digital Malawi which protects its citizens.
“We will continue raising awareness on digital regulations and we will continue having such engagement with stakeholders,” Suleman added, emphasising the need to strive for cybercrime free Malawi.
Whilst welcoming the engagement meeting, Active Youth Initiative for Social Enhancement (AYISE) and other CSOs called for more public awareness on pieces of legislation on digital laws and rights, apart from digital literacy in schools, to ensure adequate knowledge on digital responsibility and rights.
AYISE head of programmes, Monica Makeya Dzonzi, who was one of the participants, observed that the MACRA-CSOs engagement was ideal, saying the engagement raised the much needed awareness on digital laws that protect rights of consumers on various digital platforms.
“We advocate for human rights and there is need for us to understand issues of digital rights in this digital era where we have various digital platforms,” Dzonzi added, observing the growing cyber bullying that infringes on other people’s rights and increased money related cyber crimes.
MACRA also held a technical meeting on the same Friday with such stakeholders as Telekom Networks Malawi, Aitel Malawi, National Registration Bureau, and Directorate of Road Traffic to discuss SIM Card registration integration.
