Zimbabwean legislation for the interception of phone and Internet communications, seen by critics of the Harare government as a threat to civil liberties despite limited revisions, sailed through a second reading in parliament on Tuesday.
Chief Whip Innocent Gonese of the Movement for Democratic Change faction headed by MDC founding President Morgan Tsvangirai said the ruling ZANU-PF party rammed through the bill by a 23-18 vote despite opposition resistance.
The lawmaker from eastern Mutare told reporter Patience Rusere of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that changes are cosmetic and the law still infringes on rights.