malvernmugadzikwa
Beitbridge Bureau
HARNESSING information communication technologies (ICTs) is pivotal to Zimbabwe’s aspirations of becoming an empowered, modern, prosperous and highly industrialised nation, Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said.
He said this after handing over a donation of 20 laptops, 10 desktop computers and an assortment of seeds for a horticulture project to Beitbridge Mission Primary School, where he learnt between 1963 and 1969.
The donation of computers, he said, was part of the Government’s initiative to drive digitisation in schools.
He also handed over sugar bean, cowpea and pearl millet seeds, 200 litres of paint and a fully equipped solarised borehole.
The Government has already connected 32 rural schools in Matabeleland South province to the internet. “Information communication technologies are key enablers of economic development to the extent that the entrenchment of ICTs across all national development strategies is critical for attainment of universal access to information technology by 2030,” said Vice President Mohadi.
“ICTs enhance national priorities.
“They give advisory services; automation or mechanisation and precision irrigation for farming such as drip irrigation, fertigation and smart greenhouses.
“They use satellite technology to provide real-time information on areas under different crops; enhance mining research and adoptions of computerised mining cadastre information management system, among others.
“When it comes to ICT access and usage, the country intends to have internet access at village level by 2030, through the extension of optic fibre backbone and last-mile connectivity.”
He said the donation will go a long way in enhancing learning at the school.
VP Mohadi said it was important for children to learn to be self-sustaining.
“The youths of today are our future, and we want them to learn the virtues of adulthood today so that they do not develop donor syndrome,” he said.
The Government, VP Mohadi added, was targeting to increase the internet penetration rate from 59,1 percent in 2020 to 75,42 percent by 2025.
“Further, the mobile phone penetration rate is also expected to be increased to 100 percent by 2025,” he said. “It is, therefore, envisaged that all education institutions will be connected to the national internet by 2025 to enable a complete digitisation programme for all private and public institutions in the country.”
He said in an endeavour to bridge the digital gap and widen learners’ learning materials resource base, schools in remote areas were being connected to the internet.
Last year, President Mnangagwa also donated 300 computers to 10 schools in Matabeleland South province.
Online Reporter