Windhoek: Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus has announced that the Data Protection Bill is nearing its final stages and is anticipated to be presented in Parliament between September and October 2025. This development follows the release of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Readiness Assessment Report, which highlights the necessity for completing regulatory frameworks like the Data Protection and Cybersecurity Bills to facilitate AI usage.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Theofelus mentioned on Tuesday that the Cabinet has already reviewed the draft and is currently focusing on the certification process before it is tabled. 'We are now looking at the certification. We are still finalising the certification, and once the bill has been certified and ready for tabling before Parliament, it will be done with the hopes that while this session is still ongoing for 2025, either by the end of September or early October. But those timelines are not set in stone,' she indicated.
In the context of the AI Readiness Assessment Report, Simeon Hamukoshi, a researcher and strategic projects coordinator at the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), emphasized that Namibia lacks a formal AI regulatory framework. He pointed out the necessity for a comprehensive AI governance structure to address data mining regulations, prevent algorithmic bias, and enforce ethical standards. Despite these regulatory voids, Hamukoshi acknowledged AI's role as a crucial economic enabler with the potential to transform Namibia's economy and enhance resilience.
In addition to the Data Protection Bill, Theofelus also confirmed that the Cybercrime Bill is in its final drafting stages. She explained that the delay is due to the requirement for specific expertise to tackle emerging global cyber issues. 'We are literally in the final stages of that drafting, and once that has been concluded, it will be deliberated at the Cabinet level, and once Cabinet gives authorisation, the minister of ICT will then table the bill in parliament,' she noted.