Online Reporter
Vusumuzi Dube in Victoria Falls
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has called on Southern African governments to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), and integrate it into their governance systems to accelerate economic and technological development.
Speaking during the official opening of the 57th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum in Victoria Falls yesterday, President Mnangagwa, who is also the SADC chairperson, said the rapid evolution of AI is no longer theoretical, but a present-day reality demanding action
The forum, which is running up to Saturday, is being held under the theme: “Harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) for effective and efficient Parliamentary processes in the SADC Region: Experiences, challenges and opportunities.”
President Mnangagwa said the Fourth Industrial Revolution was characterised by a fusion of emerging technologies, which were blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological sectors.
“Cyber-physical systems have proliferated in all facets of society and economic activity within Africa and beyond, anchored on AI and innovation. For SADC Parliaments, the potential benefits of artificial intelligence and innovative technologies are multi-pronged. These offer solutions for resource optimisation, which will in turn enable our Parliament,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said technology can bridge the gap between parliamentarians and citizens in their geographically dispersed constituencies.
“This will enable more direct and frequent interaction, thereby improving representation, accountability, and involvement of grassroots communities in parliamentary processes,” he said.
The President noted that the rise in the impact of AI on a global scale comes at a time when the strategic vision of SADC emphasises technological cooperation and knowledge sharing, as a means to strengthen democratic institutions across the region.
He said as the Fourth Industrial Revolution transforms the world, it is important that all socio-economic sectors adapt, including parliamentarians.
“Many of our countries have multiple official languages. Hence, new technologies must be leveraged to support more inclusive parliamentary communication, from easier translation and language processing,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said language should never be a barrier to democratic participation and urged Parliaments to embrace A1 and other technologies to revolutionise legislative processes for more evidence-based and people-centred policies.
“It is in this respect that the SADC Heads of State and Government, within the framework of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development I Plan (2020-2030), are prioritising the development of appropriate skills related to information communication technologies,” said President Mnangagwa.
“Equally key is the need to enhance the accessibility to new technologies, as well as promote investment in research and development to boost afro-centric innovation and digital solutions.”
The SADC chairperson noted that because various Parliaments in the region are at varying stages of digital maturity, this diversity of experience creates a rich environment and ecosystem for collaboration.
He said common approaches to technological adoption should be promoted to enhance interoperable systems that facilitate greater cooperation among regional parliaments.
“Cross-border technology sharing and investments must also be encouraged towards strengthening interconnectivity and lowering tariffs for the benefit of our people. Our policies, with regard to ICT enablers and new technology uptake, should leave no one and no place behind,” said President Mnangagwa.
“On our part, the Government of Zimbabwe, through the Whole of Government approach, is scaling up the integration of digital solutions into our governance frameworks.”
To date, Zimbabwe has established innovation hubs and industrial parks across all universities.
“These centres of excellence are advancing our technological agenda and remain at the forefront of our innovation efforts,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said partnerships with universities, research institutions and industry to promote digital literacy, stimulate local content creation and advance research in new technologies, including artificial intelligence, were proving most valuable.
The President, however, emphasised that the adoption of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies must enhance rather than compromise the integrity and independence of democratic institutions.
“To this end, measures must be put in place to deal with issues of cyber-security, data protection, digital sovereignty and the potential for technological dependence, among others,” he said.
Zimbabwe has enacted the Cyber and Data Protection Act to regulate data security and ensure fairness in data related to, and services driven by, artificial intelligence.
President Mnangagwa said additional legislation and governance frameworks to address the ethics, accountability and cybersecurity as affected by artificial intelligence, are also under consideration. The President said despite the impact of new technologies, these should not then negate the gains brought about through independence.
“Our Pan African spirit, rich cultural heritage and traditions, coupled with the need to always protect the hard-won independence, freedom and sovereignty of our countries, must guide our approach to the integration of new technologies and trends, across all areas,” he said.
“Our governance systems, democratic tradition and parliamentary processes, and the philosophy of ‘governance by the people, for the people’, should be jealously guarded.”
In deliberating these emerging issues, President Mnangagwa said elected representatives of the peoples of the region should ensure that systems based on artificial intelligence and other technologies do not merely replicate global models. He said they must reflect the priorities and perspectives of the SADC region and Africa in general, from an Afrocentric perspective.
Turning to the SADC Parliamentary Forum, President Mnangagwa revealed that this was an institution that is close to his heart, having actively participated in it during his tenure as Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe from 2000 to 2005.
“I had the honour of actively participating in the development of the norms and standards for elections in the SADC region. I was also privileged to serve as Head of Mission for the SADC Parliamentary Forum Election Observation Mission to Malawi for the 2004 General Elections,” he said.
President Mnangagwa also recalled launching the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children Already in Marriage at the 40th Plenary Assembly hosted by Zimbabwe in 2016.
