Mthabisi Tshuma, [email protected]
GOVERNMENT will prioritise scaling up Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications that demonstrate tangible benefits in economic growth and public service delivery, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera has said.
The Ministry is holding a strategic plan review workshop in Bulawayo to assess progress on key national ICT programmes and strengthen the country’s digital transformation agenda.
The workshop has brought together senior ministry officials, ICT sector stakeholders, parastatals and private sector players to review ongoing programmes and map the way forward.
Minister Mavetera officially opened the workshop virtually yesterday, while her deputy, Dingumuzi Phuti, attended in person.
In her address, Minister Mavetera said the newly established AI Unit should translate the country’s ambitions for AI-driven growth into practical, tested and safe solutions, with a focus on addressing risks such as inaccurate responses, bias and poor data quality.
“Our AI Unit must translate the Plan’s ambition for AI-driven economicgrowth and improved service delivery into practical priorities. Identify useful applications. Test them carefully. Scale what demonstrates value.
“Reliable data, suitable infrastructure and human oversight must guide this work. The Plan recognises risks including inaccurate responses, bias and poor data quality. Success must be measured through productivity gained and services improved,” said Minister Mavetera.
She said the Ministry had a critical role to play in supporting the country’s ambition of becoming an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
“Our destination remains Vision 2030: a prosperous and empowered Upper Middle-Income society. NDS2, covering January 2026 to December 2030 and the Smart Zimbabwe 2030 Master Plan provide our direction. Under the leadership of His Excellency the President, we must translate this national agenda into services people can use. This Ministry is the economy’s technological engine room. Agriculture, health, education, mining, tourism, finance and public administration increasingly depend on the systems we enable.
“A farmer needs useful information. A teacher needs reliable learning tools. An entrepreneur needs customers. A public servant needs systems that work. Their needs must guide this review,” said Minister Mavetera.
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