LUSAKA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Monday expressed concern that abuse of cyberspace has continued despite heightened campaigns against the vice.

Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya said the government was concerned with the rampant abuse and called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to ensure that citizens were protected from all forms of crimes committed in cyberspace.

She was commenting on a video circulating on social media in which a young man wearing a ruling party T-shirt and splashing huge sums of money claiming to have come from the minister meant to discredit her political rivals.

"Videos such as that one are the very reason why the government wants to make sure that it provides a safe cyberspace for citizens to operate in, because if anyone can decide they are going to take a video and allege untruth, then who is going to be safe, not our children, not our women, not anybody in society," she told reporters during a press briefing.

The internet, she said, has placed power in people's hands which should be used positively and not to distract people from important national issues.

According to her, the ministry has been overwhelmed with calls from many young women who been abused on social media as well as children who felt they were suffering from stress because of bullying in cyberspace.

Zambia has raised its resolve to combat abuse of cyberspace through various measures. Recently, the cabinet approved the introduction and publication of a bill in parliament meant to promote the responsible use of social media platforms.

Currently, Zambia's first female jet fighter pilot Thokozile is on a walk from Lusaka, the country's capital, to the southern city of Livingstone to raise awareness against cyberbullying and abuse of social media. Enditem

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