State of the Nation Reporter

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) have filed an urgent application with the High Court to stop the ZRP and CID from searching Econet’s premises and obtaining a database containing all subscriber details.

The application comes shortly after Econet Wireless yesterday sought a court order to suspend a police warrant seeking information on its transactions arguing that this would violate the privacy of the company and millions of its subscribers.

On Friday, the police requested Econet, the countries biggest mobile service provide which boast of having over 11 million subscribers, to hand over details of its mobile money transactions and subscribers as authorities accuse the company of being used to conduct money-laundering.

In their court application, Misa argued that the warrant of search and seizure threatens citizens’ various fundamental rights, and that of ZimRights, in a “serious way”.

In the application filed by lawyer Chris Mhike, MISA Zimbabwe and ZimRights, are seeking for an interim order for Econet to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of information in its custody relating to the applicants and their members and employees.

In addition, the mobile phone company shall not divulge to any of its co-respondents:

• Any details regarding the applicants, applicants’ members, or applicants’ employees for the period 2 January 2020 or any other period.
• Any transactional data regarding transactions carried out between Econet and the applicant, or applicant members or employees for the period 2 January 2020 or any other period.