MISA Namibia said in a statement today, it had noted with great
concern, the provision in the bill that provides for interception of
electronic communication, adding such a provision made the bill
unacceptable in a democracy.
"Wiretapping and electronic surveillance is a highly intrusive form of
investigation that should only be used in limited and unusual
circumstances. Major international agreements on human rights protect
the right of individuals from unwarranted invasive surveillance. We
therefore submit that the proposed law will infringe on the rights and
civil liberties of Namibian citizens," said the MISA statement.
The MISA chapter also raised questions of blanket interception of
communication, sweeping powers for interception and financial burden on
the communications industry as some of the most worrying if the bill
was passed, calling rather for the development of a policy that would
leave accountability and protection of privacy in the hands of
operating institutions.
MISA further recommended that instead of legislating, government should
"provide decision-makers with the information necessary to make
fully-informed policy decisions based on an understanding of the
privacy implications and risks and the options available for avoiding
and/or mitigating those risks".