adminIn an interview at the end of the Southern African Information and Communication Technology for Education Summit in Victoria Falls at the weekend, CSZC president Mr Artwell Mukusha said the Sadc region should have standard ICT policies in importation, quality, accessibility and affordability of computers.
He said countries in the region were going it alone resulting in the ICT becoming unaffordable and inaccessible to many people.
“The issue of the Internet connectivity, we all face the same problems in the region. It is just that others are taking the lead while others follow and that affects even the pricing of the gadgets and fees for the Internet.
“Right now it is believed that Internet is expensive in Zimbabwe and cheaper in other countries. If only our responsible ministries could be working together then we will all have access and at a cheaper price,” he said.
Mr Mukusha said there was a need to establish a link between the Government and the private sector so that cheaper computer hardwares were made available to the public.
He said ICT was now a key enabler of education in the wake of computerisation.
“We had companies like Apple, NEC, Samsung represented here at the meeting that brought the region together and instead of approaching them individually, it should be a group initiative so that we have cheaper solutions to our hardware and connectivity challenges,” he said.
Sadc ministers and officials from education ministries and educationists attended the meeting.
Online Reporter