MISA Zimbabwe together with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) on 20 July 2020 filed an urgent application with the High Court for an order interdicting Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and other cited respondents from implementing a police warrant seeking information on the mobile phone operator’s transactions.
The applicants contend that the warrant of search and seizure threatens citizens’ various fundamental rights, and that of ZimRights, in a “serious way”. Econet has more than 11 million subscribers.
The application comes in the wake of a police warrant seeking information on Econet’s transactions.
Econet is cited as the fourth respondent while the Minister of Home Affairs, Police Commissioner-General, Detective Inspector Mkhululi Nyoni, Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, are the other respondents.
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.
