You lose your teeth: says POTRAZ boss in chilling threat on unlicensed data controllers
By Caleb Chikwawawa
Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) Director General Gift Machengete has issued a chilling threat against data controllers who fail to comply with the country’s data protection laws and regulations.
Speaking at the inaugural handover ceremony of Data Controller Licences, which saw 570 controllers receiving their licences in Harare on Friday, Machengete urged all data controllers to obtain licences or face the full wrath of the law.
“This licence is just the beginning. True compliance is ongoing. It requires vigilant regular system reviews, self training, and responsiveness to data subjects.
“We will walk with you through this journey, including through our enforcement road map which balances firm oversight with supportive engagement.
“Remember, compliance will not make headlines, but non-compliance certainly does.
“If you think compliance is expensive, try non-compliance,” Machengete said.
Added the POTRAZ boss, “Compliance is like brushing your teeth. No one gets excited about it, but if you skip long enough, the results can be quite painful and costly. You lose your teeth and you also pay for it.
“Compliance is like wearing seat belt, you hope you will never need it, but when things go bad on the road, you are always glad you wore it…neglect comes at a cost.
“Thankfully, today we are celebrating those who chose the tooth brush, those who chose the seat belt those who understand that compliance is not a useless but is a necessity in protecting what matters.
“Compliance is more than ticking boxes, it is the foundation of trust.”
Elsewhere in the world, Machengete said, “failure to comply has led to serious consequences”.
Data Controllers protect individuals’ personal data and are responsible for ensuring compliance with data protection laws and regulations.
They include Tax Authorities, Health departments, law enforcement, immigration departments and social security agencies.
