As the videos keeps circulating on social media since Tuesday this week, and people are calling for the DEC Director General Ms. Mary Chirwa to resign or have the President fire her. The authenticity of the video circulating shows that Ms. Chirwa recorded herself and sent these videos to someone she trusted, in most cases such are sent to someone you are in a relationship with. This means that, she knows who she sent the video to, and she can help the Law enforcement to investigate the matter. This woman has been cruelly betrayed by someone she trusted and shared a very intimate relationship with.
Now I would like to get to the point of others calling for her resignation or have the president fire her, first point here is that we must remember that this woman is a victim, and her situation falls under Cyberbullying or Cyberstalking for adults, as Cyberbullying falls under the age of 18 for school children.
The Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act 2021 gives authority to law enforcement authorities to intercept communications in Zambia. While it broadly prohibits the interception of communication, the Act permits law enforcement and security officials to intercept communications in the execution of their duties, in accordance with an order from a designated judge of the High Court of Zambia. However, if the delay caused by obtaining a High Court order would result in harm to a person or property, the Act permits a law enforcement officer to intercept the communication without an order. This means that Ms. Chirwa should report this to the investigative wing so that the person involved in the circulation of these videos should be answerable.
Others are wondering how this video gets in circulation at the time when the Director General is investigating the former First Lady Mrs. Esther Lungu for the acquiring of her 15 Flats (Apartment) building. The wondering goes on to speculate that, was the person who circulated the video paid by the former government to do this to embarrass the Director General, and if so, who is this person and what more information that the Director General shared with this person while in a relationship that is about to Leak since this person who circulated the video seem to be on a plan to hurt Ms. Chirwa? This is where the interest of the government should be not firing the victim.
On the other hand, some members of Parliaments have taken this issue into mockery. Yesterday (Wednesday July 27, 2022) in the house of Parliament, Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti had reprimanded Mpika PF member of parliament Francis Kapyanga for saying that there are muscular men in his constituency who can help “those using bananas for farming”.
The Honorable MP went on to say “let me take this opportunity to tell those who are outside using Bananas that I have muscular youths in my constituency, who they can take advantage of”- Opposition PF, Mpika MP Hon Francis Robert Kapyanga. And he goes to say those who are using Bananas for Farming can take his muscular youths for Farming saying he is promoting Farming, is this the caliber for leadership we have in Parliament to represent us?
On Tuesday evening, DEC Director General Mary Chirwa became a subject of social media discourse when some pornographic videos went viral with antagonists alleging that she was the woman in the obscene videos. In one of the videos, the woman in question was seen inserting a banana into her private parts. Whoever circulated those videos is ready to bring Ms. Chirwa down because if she is not strong, she can harm herself. Throughout history, people have committed all kinds of cruel, degrading, and evil acts toward other people.
Let’s put politics aside and do the right thing here. Just because her (Ms. Chirwa) position is a presidential appointee then it should be politicized by oppositions seeking political mileage. We must advocate to raise voice against spreading misinformation in the age of mass communication. As the technology of mass communication continues to grow in leaps and bounds, it is our solemn responsibility to prevent and speak up against acts of spreading any misinformation or idea that is bigoted and plays upon anyone’s ignorance or vulnerability. In both short term or long run, bigotry and divisiveness deprive a nation of the peace and prosperity that can only come through unity amongst her people.
Cyberstalking involves the use of information and communication technologies such as e-mail, cell-phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, defamatory personal web sites, blogs, online games and defamatory online personal polling web sites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group that is intended to harm others.” Characteristics like anonymity, accessibility to electronic communication, and rapid audience spread, result in a limitless number of individuals that can be affected by Cyberstalking .
By Alexander Vomo, concerned citizen
