Zimbabwe eyes plan to spy on citizens
Yahoo News

By TERRY LEONARD, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 58 minutes ago

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Times are hard and getting harder in Zimbabwe,
where people too proud to cry about hunger, joblessness and misrule could
soon find it too dangerous to joke about them.

Parliament plans to debate proposals next month to empower the secret police
to eavesdrop on mail, e-mail and phones without any court approval.
The government denies any sinister intent, saying it is putting its
anti-terrorism legislation in line with international practice. But Zimbabwe
is not on the front lines of the war on terror, and government agents could
use the proposed powers to monitor the communications of the political
opposition, journalists and human rights activists who are critical of
President Robert Mugabe.

Secret police and intelligence agents could violate attorney-client
privilege, track financial transactions and negotiations, and eavesdrop on
anyone's private life. Anytime a Zimbabwean visits a Web site, makes a deal
or tells a joke, Big Brother could be listening or watching.

Internet and cell phone service providers would, at their own expense, have
to provide the government with equipment to sort and intercept
communications.

The aim "is to monitor and block communications for political reasons and to
use information they get to persecute opponents," said Lovemore Madhuku,
chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly, a group critical of
repressive laws and actions of Mugabe's government.

Telephoned from neighboring South Africa, he said: "It is part and parcel of
the process of controlling dissent and stifling democratic debate."

South Africa has quietly adopted a similar law, with the important
difference that a court must approve any interception. In Zimbabwe, that
authority would rest solely with Mugabe's minister of transport and
communications.

A package of other security and media laws has done away with freedom of
press and speech. People cannot protest against the government or hold
political gatherings without prior police approval. Clergymen have been
arrested for holding unauthorized prayer vigils.

To a government which has arrested people for insulting the president,
joking about him is no laughing matter. It's a felony. It is also illegal to
say or write something that can "falsely" bring the government into
disrepute.

"Jokes about Mugabe are a crime," Jim Holland, the chief executive of Mango,
a Zimbabwean Internet service provider, said in a telephone interview. "But
people send these jokes all the time on cell phones or e-mails."

In one of them, a policeman asks a motorist for a donation toward the ransom
demanded by terrorists who have abducted Mugabe and threatened to douse him
with gasoline and set him alight. The motorists asks what other people are
giving and is told, two or three gallons.

In another, a man tired of waiting in line at a closed gasoline station
announces he's off to State House to shoot the president. He returns a short
time later complaining that the line there was even longer.

Holland believes the proposed law will have a chilling effect on such humor
but that the real dangers lie in the government's ability to target
legitimate opponents and monitor sensitive business and financial
communications.

"It is troubling in a country like this with its record on corruption that
the government could monitor financial transactions or even internal
communications ahead of a company making a tender offer," Holland said.

He said in early discussions of the bill a man who would be involved in any
government monitoring effort told a gathering there was no cause for concern
because the proposed law was only a threat "to criminals and human rights
activists."

There is a chance that opponents will manage to block the bill, arguing that
it is unworkable and could further undermine the faltering economy. The
opponents also draw some hope from the fact that Mugabe is not personally
pushing the bill. But all agree the chance is slim.

That leaves the courts, but lawyers here note the government has packed them
with friendly judges, and simply ignored rulings it dislikes.

quote:

In one of them, a policeman asks a motorist for a donation toward the ransom
demanded by terrorists who have abducted Mugabe and threatened to douse him
with gasoline and set him alight. The motorists asks what other people are
giving and is told, two or three gallons.

In another, a man tired of waiting in line at a closed gasoline station
announces he's off to State House to shoot the president. He returns a short
time later complaining that the line there was even longer.

How long until Zim explodes?

quote:

Originally posted by ROSCOE:

quote:

In one of them, a policeman asks a motorist for a donation toward the ransom
demanded by terrorists who have abducted Mugabe and threatened to douse him
with gasoline and set him alight. The motorists asks what other people are
giving and is told, two or three gallons.

In another, a man tired of waiting in line at a closed gasoline station
announces he's off to State House to shoot the president. He returns a short
time later complaining that the line there was even longer.

My Ph informed me when I was there in June that they had been warned about this policy coming down the pike. Still, everyone, keep your fingers crossed for the survival of that country - it's a truly amazing place, despite the political concerns.

I feel sorry for all the suffering of those in Zim, but i'm afraid mugabe and his chronies have read too much Orwell, and it's finally driven them over the edge. It wasn't really that far!!!

I truly love africa, some of the greatest people on earth struggle to reside there. Amongst Some of the worlds most beautiful country and breathtaking vista's. It is also home to the greatest and most diverse wildlife population on the planet, but I despise the chickenshit politics that are destroying the entire continent!!!

I Wonder how many problems in Zim could be solved with just one bullet.

Gentlemen,
I was in Zim in March 2006 for @ 30 days.
In the course of my Safari I drove from [look at the Zim map] Vic Falls to the SAVE. From the SAVE to Harare. From Harare to the OMAY. From thje OMAY to DEKA [near Vic Falls]. From DEKA back to the SAVE. From the SAVE to Harare.
I toured the country.
It is beautiful.
The economy is in the Toilet. It is only a matter of time.
I plan on returning in Oct 2006.
\I hope it hilds together till then.

quote:

Zimbabwe eyes plan to spy on citizens

Sounds like he learnt that from another world 'leader' who loves his patriot acts????

kayaker:Your comparison is both repulsive and idiotic and of course totally false.

Now to the reality of the matter. Mugabe does not possess the requisite technical knowledge or hardware to effectively monitor email traffic to such a degree as to be effective. Even the NSA can't deal with the huge volume of traffic to be that effective. jorge

If the Chinese supplied eavesdropping equipment is of the same standard as the new MA60 aircraft Air Zimbabwe bought from China, or the new army lorries we received, I cannot see any problems. One aircraft has never managed to fly from new and the other two developed serious faults with 6 months. 50% of the new lorries broke down within 3 months.

quote:

Originally posted by kayaker:

quote:

Zimbabwe eyes plan to spy on citizens

Sounds like he learnt that from another world 'leader' who loves his patriot acts????

quote:

South Africa has quietly adopted a similar law, with the important
difference that a court must approve any interception. In Zimbabwe, that
authority would rest solely with Mugabe's minister of transport and
communications.

Sounds like they learned from South Africa to me.

Hello kayaker,
If current events follow their present path, even ignorant asses like you in South Africa will be quite glad that George Bush is the leader of the remaining super power on this planet. No one else will offer to help you, feed you, give you clothing, provide medicine and medical help, even defend you if necessary, so I would guard my tongue and idiotic comments.
You and others need to keep in mind that we as Americans make the very best friends, but we can also be your worst nightmare once angered and wronged. Many from your part of the world often refer to America as the great satan and I do not know what that means for sure, but rest assured we are quite capable of sending you to a place that hold no virgins, but you will be greeted by The Prince of Darkness.

PS You might want to consider staying behind that couch in the dark, more your style I would say.

quote:

kayaker:Your comparison is both repulsive and idiotic and of course totally false.

Chill....the piss is being taken! Hence the 'sofa man'. I am in no way saying this is good or acceptable, and as pointed out, similar laws are becoming widespread. I am not getting into a pissing match, I find those idiotic!

However, I still hold the right to think Bush is knob, as is Mugabe, both wankers IMHO, in different ways, but thats for another forum. We disagree on this, so be it, 'way she goes boys' (Trailer Park Boys)

Being false and repulsive would depend on your personal views I think, which we all have, no?

Cheers

Don: you are absolutely correct in that regard. I'm sure I can probably engage the entire Zim Air Force with a Sopwith Camel, at the same time and still come out ahead. Chinese equipment is the "economy" version of Soviet gear and all of that was pretty much garbage. jorge

I'm with Bwanajcj - Uncle Bob has got to be the luckiest sucker on earth. One would have thought that some emboldened and "expatrioted" white farmer would have by now . . .

quote:

Originally posted by jorge:
I'm sure I can probably engage the entire Zim Air Force with a Sopwith Camel, at the same time and still come out ahead.

Indeed, I think you should at all means try that.

Regardless which side wins, the result would be positive .

Carcano

Carcano91: Well said.

Kayaker: You've been paying too much attention to all of the left wing, liberal, "drive by" media, including that in your own neck of the woods. Bush is not a "knob", and I dare say that most of those here on AR would not agree with your assessment. Be kind to us conservative, right wing, Republican leaning Americans, as your life may literally depend upon us at some point in the future. If history on the African continent continues to repeat itself, as it seems to be doing from Kenya on down, it doesn't look good, over time, for our good and loyal friends in South Africa.

Carcano: I'll have to remember that, next time we kick your ass...for a third time. Wait, I thought you were german. Carcano? sounds Italian. Now THERE's A TRACK record!

UEG: HOw can you agree with ANYTHING that "old european" says, and what did I do to piss you off?. jorge

Edited:

Do we need to be concerned about our own emails to PHs regarding payment? My PH likes my money to go to his Texas checking account where presumably the Zim Gov will never know about it. We are winning the war on terror by following the money. Mugabe might be thinking the same thing as a way to track unreported revenue. I am sure he wants all foreign income to go into Zim banks where it can be appropriated on an "EMERGENCY BASIS ONLY" to pay foreign debt. The only way anyone can survive in Zim is to part of the underground economy.
How do members pay PHs? We should think ahead and be conscious about not leaving a paper trail or an email trail detailing payments.
Suggestions?

I would suggest that any finacial (or better yet all) coorispondence to and from Zim be encrypted via PGP or another public key scheme. Further I'd change the suffix of the encrypted file to .gif or .jpg and then put it into a zip file.

Here is a link the the GNU freeware version of PGP. There are many more out there.

-Steve

jorge: I just assumed (and rightly so) that there would only be ONE winner and that would be you. Hopefully, no offense taken.

UEG: Thanks! none taken either. And I'm STILL amazed at your lion! jorge

corecpa

Seriously, i wouldn't worry about emails. Our phone lines are far less secure, and although the technology is old ( have massive reel to reel magnetic tapes driven by a 1960's vintage computer) key words from a limited number of phone lines can be monitored and a recording automatically kept if a "key word" features in the conversation.

My friends in the CIO who are trying to monitor government emails through the governments own server are not having either much fun or much luck in stopping the outflow of classified information, thie new equipment can only scan for 5 key words on an email- so whilst they were looking for political key words somebody in parks was sending out the records of which chinese dealers had bought and sniveled out of the country a mere 30 tonnes of ivory. When the story broke in the world press, it was realised the leak was in parks and that all the info had to have been sent from HQ, but by who and when? Too limited cabability.

If you are really paranoid just don't use the words money and deposit.

Better still advise him to get a hotmail adress. We have no ability to scan internet and none is planned.

Ganyana,

Ok, I will not use any key words such as money and bank, substituting banana and lovebox in their place. I suspected Zim didn't have the technology to effectively monitor emails, but I wanted to make sure I protected my PH.

Some Zim businesses are changing to satellite 'net access to avoid problems such as those discussed in this post. With the use of Skype or similar this bypasses local monitoring.

BTW - I thought those of right wing persuasion supported the idividual's right to privacy and freedom from interference. If we accept erosion of these rights in the name of terrorism prevention, how long until "they" see our possession of firearms as a potential terrorist threat. I'd rather take a few extra casualties in the war on terror (even if they are civilians and even if I and my family are at risk) than lose a way of life. I was nearly killed riding my motorcycle 4 years ago by an incompetent 18 year old but I don't see any reason to ban motorcycles or stop 18 year olds driving cars.

Ok, rant over.

mike