IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Government institutions in Zimbabwe continue to lag behind in using ICTs and the Internet for public services to the citizens.

According to a survey ‘Transparency Assessment’ by media watchdog Misa Zimbabwe last year, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Public Service Commission were the most secretive state departments.

Community information centres (CIC) being commissioned in various parts of the country can promote e-agriculture, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has said.

In his speech at the commissioning of the Rafingora CIC on Friday, Potraz director-general Gift Machengete said: “Rafingora is a predominantly farming community and the benefits that this centre will bring to the farmers are enormous.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has seen the introduction of restrictions in movement, gatherings, introduction of quarantines and closures of educational establishments among other measures implemented to contain the virus in Zimbabwe. This crisis has brought to the fore the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in businesses, healthcare, education and public services.

Due to COVID-19 Zimbabweans are embracing the digital life; with activities ranging from online entertainment, increased use of real-time online broadcasts via platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to online meetings and even parliament sessions via platforms such as Zoom. The Ministry of Information has also been very active disseminating COVID-19 related information via online platforms and Facebook groups.

Zimbabwe has made strides to digitise the courts in line with international best practises, Information Communication Technology (ICT) minister Jenfan Muswere has said.

Muswere, who was officiating at the certification ceremony of Constitutional Court judges who had completed training, said the paperless court system, to be launched on May 1, would solve numerous challenges that have negatively affected court operations.

The CYBER CITY project in Mt Hampden, Harare, being spearheaded by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration will enrich top leaders and be the cornerstone in the government’s surveillance of its citizens, evidence gathered by NewsDay Weekender has shown.

The technology for the project is from China. Implementation of the model, its organisational structure and management of the new city has already been announced by Cabinet.

In Zimbabwe however, citizens do not have access to adequate information to base decisions on and are therefore not empowered to take charge of their destinies by participating in the critical discourses shaping policy formulation, service delivery principles and governance priorities. Expansion in the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) has however provided an opportunity for the government to increase the amount of information Zimbabweans have access to and to generate discourse between the public and those who govern them.

Tourism Authority (ZTA) will tighten its monitoring of the sector to ensure more transparency as well as curb foreign currency leakages, an official has said.

ZTA acting chief executive Rita Likukuma told NewsDay that government was adopting e-governance systems in order to deal with revenue leakages.

We know that many politicians conveniently swear to serve the electorate when seeking votes and then translate that into an oath of convenience for themselves as they help themselves.

President Mnangagwa has said Government has allocated $43 billion in devolution funds to local authorities to upgrade infrastructure to meet the ongoing development agenda of creating smart cities.

Government approved the smart cities concept last year in line with the vision of having an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Courier Services minister Kazembe Kazembe says going digital is no longer a matter of choice, but a key driver of economic development.

“Going digital is, therefore, no longer a simple matter of choice or a demonstration of opulence. Rather it is the new bedrock of our economy and a driver of the needed growth,” Kazembe told Gutu residents last week.

A massive street lighting programme has been rolled out countrywide with a pilot project being carried out in Harare where the installation of more than 1 200 new lights is currently underway.

The project, which will be cascaded to all the country’s cities, towns and growth points, is a product of President Mnangagwa’s engagement and re-engagement policy as well as his “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra.

The Government will install Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) in all the cities' Central Business Districts (CBDs) as part of its safe city initiative, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said Harare CBD is now covered with CCTV and the programme would be rolled out in other cities with Bulawayo being the next.

During the 36th Cabinet Matrix held yesterday, the Minister of Information Monica Mutsvangwa briefed the Cabinet regarding progress on moving towards a paperless eCabinet system that will change the way cabinet meetings are held.

The eCabinet will be accompanied by an “Executive Electronic Dashboard” allowing for the monitoring of priority government programmes in realtime. Both innovations are part of the much talked about eGovernment program which also includes ICT-based security and communication tools allowing citizens to engage with their government.

Government is introducing a smart traffic management system in all cities across the country with cameras set to be installed on all controlled intersections and strategic points to gather information and monitor traffic flow as part of the smart city project.

The system will create a platform for the real-time electronic monitoring of roads, receipting, reconciliation of fines, docket management, and analysis of traffic information and statistics across the whole country.

The revised information and communication technology policy framework seeks to give strategic direction for sustainable national development through the application of ICTs.

The policy will replace the one formulated in 2005 so as to accommodate recent sectorial developments.

Government is in the process of reviewing the country’s visa requirements to boost tourism and attract foreign direct investment, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has said.

He was speaking at a recent national tourism strategy workshop hosted by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

Government has mobilised $7 million to fund youth technicians to develop software packages and applications that can be used to boost economic activity in the country.

Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Supa Mandiwanzira revealed this during the official opening of the Nkulumane Communication Information Centre in Bulawayo on Saturday.

Government is working on a policy that will ensure telecommunications companies share infrastructure such as towers where possible to save their companies and the country millions of dollars, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Supa Mandiwanzira has said.

Speaking at an ICT Suppliers of Zimbabwe annual general meeting in Harare on Tuesday, Minister Mandiwanzira said it was nonsensical for telecommunication companies not to share infrastructure and such greed was costing the country millions of dollars.

Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Aldrin Musiiwa has applauded the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) for its significant role in the development of the country’s educational and health sectors.

He was speaking during the Adventist Health Professionals Conference where the SDA invited health experts from all over the continent to educate people on various health issues, which include non-communicable diseases, infection control and public health ethics.

The Government yesterday launched a website for the inter-ministerial taskforce on the alignment of legislation (IMT) which will enable stakeholders involved in the process to access information easily.

Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who oversees the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, launched the website in Harare.

The inter-ministerial taskforce was established by Cabinet as an institutional platform to facilitate the legislative alignment process.