26 Jun 2018

The Data Protection Bill, which aims, among others, to regulate the protection of personal data and ensure that privacy of individuals has passed through the second reading of Parliament.

“The main object of the Data Protection Bill is to protect all personal data and to provide for instances where it may be processed,” Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Nonofo Molefhi had said when tabling the bill.

Contributing to the debate, Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi stated that the introduction of the bill was a welcome move as it was expected to provide a comprehensive package to protect citizenry personal data.

Mr Mmolotsi expressed optimism that the bill would guard against easy access of personal information which in most cases would be used against individuals.

Through the Data Protection Bill, Mr Mmolotsi said he was hopeful that Batswana would have control over how their personal information was used.

He said the bill must ensure that Batswana remained assured that their data was safe as the world moved into a future digital system based more on accountability but less bureaucracy.

Palapye legislator, Moiseraela Goya indicated that the bill was a welcome piece of legislation and one that would make Botswana a much more attractive place to do business.

The public and investors, he said needed to know that their personal data was safe and used responsibly in order for Botswana to benefit fully from the economic and social gains of data innovation.

Therefore, he highlighted that institutions must maintain the confidence and trust of those who provided their data by ensuring that data would be kept safe and secure and would be handled legally, responsibly and ethically.

He said the establishment of the Information and Data Protection Commission would highly protect the rights of individuals with regard to their personal details.

Mr Goya said the bill should also include a clause that would  oblige Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) service providers to guarantee high safety measures to their customers as a way of guiding against ATM card fraud.

Responding to the debate, Minister Molefhi applauded MPs for fully supporting the bill saying the bill would provide for safeguards for the processing of personal data by requiring data controllers to take appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect the personal data from negligent destruction and unauthorised processing.

He however cautioned MPs to differentiate between Data Protection and Freedom of Information.

He said it was important to note that the Data Protection Bill clearly dealt with protection of personal data as the custodian of one’s personal data should fully account for the confidentiality of personal information while the freedom of information law provided access to information that was held by government institutions. ENDS