IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

In its 2012 Global Mobile Market Update, international wireless data and computing solution strategy firm Always On Real-Time Acess (Aorta) reported Japan continued to be the leader in mobile data with an average of 60% of total average revenue coming from data, followed by Australia and the US which registered average data revenues of close to 42% at the end of 2011, while non-messaging data accounted for 53% of the global mobile data revenues owing to the tremendous growth in use of smartphones.

Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa has launched the country’s Information Communication Technology Policy to guide Zimbabwe’s economic development through a coordinated use of ICTs, reports The Herald. The ICT policy, together with the Innovation Drive, a policy to provide funding to young innovators, will provide strategic direction and guidance for sustainable national economic development through systematic and coordinated application of ICT’s, said Mnangagwa.

The president said the ICT policy is aimed at transformation, growth, inclusiveness, sustainability, innovation and partnerships in the mainstream economy and puts in place institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks in order to achieve its intended goals. It is envisaged that all sectors of the economy and society at large will harness the power of ICT’s for the development of our nation. He commended players in the ICT’s sector for their advances that have seen the penetration rate rise to 95 percent and a geographical coverage of 75 percent.

Company registration in Zimbabwe or applying for requisite licences to carry out business in industries like mining or farming is hardly easy — anyone who has been through the processes will admit to that. In fact, it is these same challenges that also push some entrepreneurs into informal trade. The good news, though, is that now you can do it online.

An advert promoting the online registration of liquor licences leads to a State e-services website. This is a Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services’ online service that was launched this year to provide people with an online alternative for accessing some State services.

Zimbabwe plans to introduce a biometric voting system as part of a raft of reforms ahead of general elections set for 2018, state media reported Sunday.According to the Sunday Mail, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) plans to engage international experts to assist in the implementation of the biometric voting system “among other significant changes to the polling framework.”

“The biometric system the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission plans to introduce will scan for either fingerprints or the iris and is already in use in African countries like Kenya and Ghana,” the paper said, quoting ZEC spokesperson Justin Manyau.

Speaking in the keynote address the guest of honour Vice President Joyce Mujuru commended the role ICT is meant to play in the country’s turnaround efforts, particularly as one of the pillars identified in the country’s ZIM ASSET economic blueprint.

Speaking at the inaugural Zimbabwe ICT Achievers Awards 2010 in the capital recently, Mr Chamisa said the development of the e-government platform would now be expedited following the completion of the draft framework.

"The e-government framework (Zimconnect) has been finalised. Government and websites for ministries are up and running, which is a key milestone in the journey to a paperless and information society by 2014. The Government is also working on establishing a trustworthy ICT legislative environment through the development of a specific legal framework, which is seen as a prerequisite for the successful implementation of e-government, encompassing the areas of e-commerce, e-banking, and other online services," he said.

Rumours that Zimbabwe was mulling over the adoption of Bitcoin as a legal tender alongside the Zimbabwean Dollar appear to be untrue.

Charles Wekwete, head of e-Government technology in the southern African nation previously confirmed there were several discussions regarding Bitcoin legalisation within the private sector.

EM: Analysts say your ministry tops all in terms of performance, what makes you tick?

NC: Not so sure about that but thank you for being kind and generous. Proverbs 3v5 says, in everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success. Excellence is second nature to us. We are enemies to mediocrity. The government works as a team. In the ministry, excellence is standard conversation and common practice.

Launching the government’s e-learning programme at a newly-built school in Matabeleland North, Mugabe pledged his government’s commitment to put computer technology at the heart of the school curriculum.

Chamisa said government had adopted “ZimConnect”, which is a masterplan that seeks to transform the country’s ICT sector and the way of doing business.

Chamisa said government has since completed the $16 million optic fibre link that is set to fasten the flow of information.

The project is expected to be launched in a few weeks following satisfactory successful trial runs.

Information Communication Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa said the plan would be formally presented to principals of the country's main political parties -- President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy Arthur Mutambara before it is unveiled to the public.

"The plan has been approved by Cabinet and will run from now to 2015. It is either going to be launched at the end of this month or February when the principals are back," said Minister Chamisa.

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Bill, which would pave the way for implementing a strategic ICT plan launched in February, is currently awaiting cabinet approval before it goes to parliament for further scrutiny.

Nelson Chamisa, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology said so far the ministry has managed to link all government ministries’ computers and all government ministries now have websites which are working and have someone updating them regularly.

E-government is the use of technologies to facilitate government operations, information and services.

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe released the figures yesterday.

Tele-density rate is one of the critical tools used to measure Information and Communication Technology (ICT) penetration. The Ministry of Information Communication Technology in its 2010 to 2014 strategic plan had set a target to increase national tele-density by 10 percent each year.

Expectations are also high that the new strategic plan would transform Zimbabwe into a knowledge society and contribute significantly to the growth and development of the national economy.

In addition, the Finance Ministry will ensure results-based budgeting.

The signing at Munhumutapa Building in Hara-re coincided with the launch of the e-Government programme.

The contracts were signed between Chief Se-cretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda and the permanent secretaries.

At a meeting held in Gaborone, Botswana recently, National Economic Consultative Forum (NECF) executive secretary Nicholas Kitikiti said the country faced many challenges in coming up with a comprehensive ICT policy.

She was speaking at the launch of the e-period phase, the second part of the national ICTs project carried out to determine the country's e-readiness in Harare last Friday.

According to the Ministry of ICT’s strategic plan 2010 to 2014, the Government has a target to increase national tele-density by 10 percent on an annual basis during the period.

However, indications from statistics released in October by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe reveal that Zimbabwe’s tele-density rate stood at around 54 percent up from 37 percent recorded earlier in the year.

Zimbabwe could sanction the search for government critics online, thanks to a planned cyber-security law earmarked to make it an offence to spread falsehoods and deal with leakage of official information on social media and the internet, The Standard can report.

Fired Health minister Obadiah Moyo is currently facing trial for a scandal over issuance of a tender to a company reportedly linked to associates of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's family, after a protracted campaign on social networking platforms and online media that involved leaked documents.