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Mukudzei Chingwere
Herald Reporter
Following a very trying and testing year for almost all sectors, 2020 gave Zimbabwe a necessary yardstick to assess its progression in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
President Mnangagwa, in his ICT policy launched in 2018, has already given indication that ICT is the in-thing the world over and has a critical role to play in economic development in the 21st Century.
The policy is anchored on guiding economic development through coordinated use of technology and providing funding to young innovators.
During the launch, President Mnangagwa said that, “policy will undoubtedly provide strategic direction and guidance for sustainable national economic development through systematic and coordinated application of ICTs”.
That ICT has an important role to play in the modern globalised world was laid bare by Covid-19 containment measures which put emphasis on avoiding travelling and reduction of physical interfaces.
Covid-19 mitigatory measures cancelled face-to-face interface interactions and gave rise to ICT-based interfaces.
The year 2020 presented the biggest platform to evaluate progresses made in the ICT sector, especially against the background that Zimbabwe is marching towards 2030 by which the President envisages the country to have registered rapid economic growth to an extent that it will be an upper middle income economy.
While many things were affected, where interfaces were needed they were seamlessly replaced by ICT-based interactions.
Business was allowed to continue because the new dispensation had made the requisite innovation and investment in the sector.
At Government level, Cabinet was held virtually, corporate meetings were held cybernetic, at some point only 15 percent of the civil service was supposed to be at their workplace at any given time.
The rest were ordered to make meaningful contributions while working from home, the sharp reduction of people at their workstations was enabled by the innovations made in the sector which allowed them to work from home.
Despite the presence of the historical digital divide in urban and rural schools, schools were supposed to operate virtual.
Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere is on record saying Covid-19 laid bare the need for a digital economy.
Minister Muswere has been clear of the Government’s commitment to provide an enabling environment for the growth of the sector.
State telecoms regulator — Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) stepped up the plate to bridge the digital dive and brought technological development to rural areas.
This was done through the launch of several Community Information Centre (CIC) which were anchored on taking technological investment to rural areas.
In August when they launched another CIC Potraz director general, Dr Gift Machengete, said the world was experiencing tremendous digital transformations, which have seen the emergence of a host of new technologies.
“The roll out of CIC, therefore, excites me as such centres ensure that no one is left behind in the virtual world — such centres ensure that rural communities are at par with cities in terms of access to information,” said Dr Machengete.
President Mnangagwa’s administration had already put shoulders to the wheel in the implementation of the National ICT Policy, more than eight million Internet subscribers were recorded at the end of last year.
Potraz also came in with the concept of — Hackathon — which brought to the fore new innovations.
The first edition this year was held in February and the second edition in December, in December it ran under the theme: “Hacking for SDGs post-Covid-19 and beyond”.
It sought local innovations and overcame challenges brought about by the global health pandemic.
Due to the economic sanctions imposed on the country, as has been the case in most sectors, the telecommunications are being affected by funding and foreign currency shortages which is threatening the industry’s digital transformation journey.
This year Potraz director-general Dr Machengete, told the World Summit on the Information Society that Zimbabwe was strengthening its information and knowledge society.
His remarks are corroborated by the massive investments made in the sector, which has seen technological advancements taken to all corners of the country.
Despite the progresses, the enactment of the Cybersecurity and Data Protection Bill became a priority to enable the Government to use the Bill’s provisions to ensure a safer cyberspace for citizens.
In September a virtual meeting hosted by the Meteorological Services Department on the National Climate Outlook Forum (NACOF) was forced to end prematurely after hackers posted pornographic material on the platform.
The virtual meeting was discussing the weather patterns being forecast for the next season as NACOF gives the main seasonal rainfall forecast.
While the Government could have been jolted by this unpleasant offensive glitch, the hacking shows that meetings are vulnerable to hackings.
Following the hacking of the meeting Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry permanent secretary Mr Munesu Munodawafa then called for the passing of the Cyber Security Bill into law to be expedited.
Zoom bombing has been a problem globally, and Zoom is reportedly putting in place new security measures to prevent hackers.
However, Cabinet uses a far more secure system for its meetings, as do the international meetings now being held.
As the investment in the sector continues, calls will be growing to ensure a safer cyberspace by enacting legislations to protect us.
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