By Chisomo Phiri
Members of Parliament (MPs) have been commended for passing the long-awaited Data Protection Bill.
The legislators passed the Bill on Thursday, November 7, 2023,which seeks to provide for a comprehensive legal framework for the regulation of the processing and transfer of personal data, in compliance with internationally accepted principles of data protection.
The African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection defines Personal Data as “information that relates to an identified or identifiable natural person by which that person can be identified, in particular by reference to an identification or to one or more factors specific to his/her physical, physiological, mental, economic, cultural or social identity”.
In an interview, MISA Chairperson Golden Matonga says the world becomes more digitized and systematic and unsystematic collection of personal data online and offline becomes widespread, the passing of the Bill was long overdue.
“In the past decade or so, we have seen government agencies such as the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and private institutions such as telecommunication companies collecting and processing personal data without any legal framework safeguarding such data,” says Matonga.
He adds that MISA believes that the data protection law will promote responsible handling of personal data by government agencies, private institutions and individuals.
“The law will also be a big plus to section 21 of the Constitution of Malawi which guarantees the right to personal privacy.
“MISA Malawi therefore, would like to agree with the Media, Information and Communications and the Legal Affairs Committees of Parliament that the temporary housing of the Data Protection Authority by Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) should be for a period of not more than twelve months to ensure separation of powers by the respective Authorities, “he says.
 have been commended for passing the long-awaited Data Protection Bill. The legislators passed the Bill on Thursday, November 7, 2023,which seeks to provide…){kind=link}