Maputo, Aug. 25, 2026 (Lusa) - Mozambique's National Institute for Information and Communication Technologies (Intic) on Tuesday called for the technical strengthening of institutions and oversight and accountability mechanisms to ensure compliance with the new data protection and digital space legislation.
«We will need to strengthen institutional capacities, develop technical skills, establish effective operational mechanisms for oversight and accountability, promote compliance amongst organisations and, above all, ensure that citizens are aware of their rights in digital environments and know how to exercise them,» said Intic's president, Lourino Chemane.
He was speaking in Maputo at the opening of a debate on identifying opportunities and challenges in protecting personal data and promoting a safe and free digital space for the exercise of participatory citizenship in Mozambique. He acknowledged that the passing of a law, as has been the case in recent months in Mozambique regarding the regulation of the digital space and the fight against cybercrime, «requires effective implementation to ensure robust protection» for citizens and institutions.
The event, organised by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Mozambique), served as a forum to discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in implementing the legal and institutional framework for the digital environment, including the proposed data protection bill, with a view to reconciling technological innovation, digital security and the protection of citizens' fundamental rights and freedoms.
MISA Mozambique argued that the proposed data protection bill must state that respect for citizens' fundamental rights is ensured, something that Lourino Chemane assured was safeguarded in the version currently under consideration.
Chemane noted that the meeting is taking place at a time when the authorities are preparing to submit the draft data protection law to parliament, which he regards as an opportunity to strengthen citizens' rights and establish clearer rules for public and private bodies that collect, process, store and share personal information.
According to the official, the feedback gathered will strengthen the regulations and supervisory mechanisms of the bodies responsible for enforcing data protection and digital security legislation, against a backdrop of rising cybercrime.
«The protection of personal data and cybersecurity must therefore be understood as complementary aspects of the same objective: to build a secure digital environment so that citizens, businesses and institutions can use digital technology safely, with confidence and with respect for citizens' fundamental rights,» he added.
According to the president of Intic, inspections and monitoring of compliance with personal data protection regulations are currently underway, in particular the provisions set out in the Electronic Transactions Act, which requires organisations that process personal data to appoint a data protection officer and sets out the responsibilities of data controllers and processors.
«The data we now have from the first round of inspections show that many organisations still need to fully implement these legal requirements. As the regulatory authority, we will start enforcing compliance with the law through measures that we prefer to avoid, but which the situation compels us to adopt,» he stated.
Meanwhile, the European Union's (EU) digitalisation programme manager in Mozambique, Débora Capela, said the country needed to implement data protection and digital security mechanisms in line with international standards.
«Mozambique has a significant opportunity ahead of it to consolidate a digital transformation that is both ambitious and inclusive, and the European Union intends to remain a committed partner on this journey,» she said.
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