Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu [email protected]
THE Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), in partnership with key stakeholders, has trained 769 persons with disabilities (PWDs) in basic and advanced information and communication technology (ICT) skills as part of efforts to promote digital inclusion and bridge the digital divide.
Of the total, 131 beneficiaries received training this year, including 29 participants from Matabeleland South who recently completed a four-day basic digital skills programme in Beitbridge.
The training, organised by POTRAZ in collaboration with the Internet Society (ISOC) Zimbabwe Chapter and the Nkomwa Foundation Trust (NFT), forms part of Government’s drive to ensure that no one and no place is left behind in the country’s digital transformation agenda.
For many of the participants, it was their first opportunity to use a computer. The programme was specially designed to accommodate different forms of disability, enabling every participant to interact effectively with digital technologies.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony on Friday, POTRAZ Universal Services Fund (USF) deputy director Mr Raxon Tichafa Mujuru said the authority remains committed to empowering communities, particularly those in marginalised areas.
“According to the programme statistics, a total of 769 persons with disabilities have been trained in basic and advanced ICT skills to date, drawn from 22 beneficiary institutions across the country. During 2026 alone, including the participants trained at this Beitbridge workshop, 131 persons with disabilities have received ICT skills training,” he said.
Mr Mujuru said the figures demonstrate steady progress towards building an inclusive digital society where persons with disabilities can confidently use technology to improve their lives.
He encouraged graduates to use the knowledge they had acquired to enhance their economic opportunities and social inclusion.
“POTRAZ recognises that training on its own is not sufficient. Skills development must be supported by access to appropriate equipment, accessible technologies and reliable internet connectivity,” he said.
To complement the training programmes, POTRAZ has distributed 857 computers to 94 institutions serving persons with disabilities across Zimbabwe.
“These interventions are intended to create sustainable points of access through which persons with disabilities can continue practising the skills acquired during training and access digital services within their communities,” said Mr Mujuru.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to ensure that persons with disabilities are fully included in Zimbabwe’s digital economy through improved access to ICT infrastructure, training and connectivity.
