BY NOXOLO DLAMINI
PIGG’S PEAK – With about eight in every 10 visitors to its Trade Fair stand found to have limited knowledge of the Data Protection Act, the Eswatini Data Protection Authority (EDPA) is taking its services directly to communities in an effort to help emaSwati better understand and protect their personal information.
Through its “Siyeta kuwe, Sondzela nawe” outreach campaign, the Authority is moving beyond its offices and setting up information desks in major towns, where members of the public and businesses can obtain guidance on data protection rights, responsibilities and registration requirements.
The campaign follows findings which revealed significant gaps in public knowledge about data protection, concerns over the misuse of personal information and challenges experienced by people trying to access the Authority.
EDPA Acting Chief Executive Officer Ozzie Thakatha said the initiative was informed by engagements conducted during the development of the Authority’s five-year strategy as well as interactions with members of the public during the Trade Fair.
“The major motivation for this campaign are the findings when we interviewed various stakeholder groups during the development of the EDPA’s five-year strategy and during the Trade Fair,” said Thakatha.
The findings painted a concerning picture of how much ordinary people still need to learn about the protection of their personal information.
“We noted significant information gaps, as around 80% of our Trade Fair stand visitors were not adequately aware of the Data Protection Act,” Thakatha said.
The figures mean that a significant number of people interacting with the Authority were not fully aware of the law designed to govern the protection and handling of personal information.
The EDPA also established that access to the Authority remained a challenge for many members of the public.
According to Thakatha, 55.2% of the public surveyed said they found the EDPA difficult to access, strengthening the case for taking information and services directly to communities instead of waiting for people to approach the Authority.
Another finding highlighted the potential impact of misuse of personal information on some of society’s most vulnerable people.
“During the strategy development, the survey indicated that 55.2% of the public find the EDPA difficult to access, while 76.4% have witnessed vulnerable groups being targeted through the misuse of personal information,” he said.
It is against this background that the Authority has moved to bring its message closer to the people.
Under the “Siyeta kuwe, Sondzela nawe” campaign, information desks will be taken to major towns, giving emaSwati an opportunity to engage directly with EDPA officials, ask questions and understand what they can do when they believe their personal information has been mishandled.
For ordinary citizens, the outreach is intended to make data protection more understandable and accessible.
People will be able to learn about their rights regarding personal information and where they can seek assistance when they believe those rights have been violated.
The campaign is also targeting organisations and businesses which collect, process or handle personal information.
Through the outreach programme, organisations will be able to obtain information about their responsibilities under the country’s data protection framework, including applicable registration requirements.
The initiative effectively brings the Authority closer to both sides of the data protection relationship – the people whose personal information must be protected and the organisations responsible for handling that information.
By going directly into communities, the EDPA hopes to close the information and accessibility gaps identified through its consultations while encouraging greater awareness of the importance of protecting personal information.
The campaign also provides members of the public with a more direct opportunity to raise concerns and understand the channels available to them when they believe their data protection rights have been violated.
For the Authority, the outreach marks a shift towards meeting people where they are and ensuring that knowledge about data protection is not confined to institutions, offices or specialists.
As more personal information becomes part of everyday interactions between citizens and organisations, the EDPA’s campaign is aimed at ensuring emaSwati know their rights, understand where to turn for help and are better equipped to protect their personal information.
