News / National
Top CIO agent takes charge at Potraz
20 Oct 2016 at 07:10hrs | Views
THE government has appointed top intelligence operative, Gift Machengete as director-general of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), a move seen as the authority moving to tighten its noose around social media over alleged abuse by opposition activists ahead of the 2018 elections.
Prior to his appointment, Machengete was director of finance and administration in the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).
The Potraz board confirmed Machengete's appointment yesterday.
His elevation could be part of President Robert Mugabe's ploy to consolidate government control of social media and snoop into people's private telecommunication messages.
At the height of the anti-government protests in July, Potraz threatened to clamp down heavily on people found using social media to communicate alleged "abusive, threatening, subversive or offensive telecommunication messages".
Source - newsday
