Zimbabweans reacted with customary humour to the letter, which faked the signature and letterhead of the newly appointed cyber minister - Patrick Chinamasa - and instructed all WhatsApp group members to register with the ministry by November.
The letter was signed "By The Cyber Powers Vested In Me".
But the jokes have since subsided, and Zimbabweans are now considering what the new ministry will mean for their civil liberties - especially freedom of speech.
'A threat to the state'
Zimbabwe's government has been uneasy about social media after pastor Evan Mawararire spearheaded the #ThisFlag movement last year.
Using platforms like Twitter and Facebook it organised a stay-at-home demonstration, the biggest anti-government protest in a decade.
President Robert Mugabe's spokesperson, George Charamba, says Mr Mugabe came up with the idea of a new ministry to deal with an "emerging threat to the state... a threat founded on abuse and unlawful conduct".
Social media is possibly the primary platform Zimbabweans use to communicate and receive news. It is thriving despite restrictive laws governing freedom of expression.
Over the last 16 years, internet usage in the country has grown from 0.3% penetration to 46%, data from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) shows.
Several TV stations and online publications, some operating from the diaspora, use the internet to disseminate news out of the reach of the government.
Comments
Post a Comment