Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
GOVERNMENT has stepped up efforts to strengthen data protection, with Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera saying Zimbabwe’s digital economy cannot thrive without trust anchored on privacy.
Addressing delegates at the Third National Data Privacy Symposium in Bulawayo yesterday, Minister Mavetera said privacy must be embedded by design in all digital systems to safeguard citizens and drive innovation.
“Without privacy by design, there is no true consent. Without consent, there is no trust. And without trust, Zimbabwe, SADC and our entire continent cannot build the digital economies we so urgently need,” she said.
The symposium, held under the theme “Privacy as the Default: A Foundation for Trust and Innovation in a Digitally Enabled Economy,” was attended by policymakers, regulators and data protection experts from across the region.
Minister Mavetera said privacy is a constitutional right and should form the foundation of Zimbabwe’s digital transformation.
“For our digital economy to thrive, this right must be the very bedrock upon which we build all our systems,” she said.
The minister said the Government was strengthening the regulatory framework through the Cyber and Data Protection Act, while empowering the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) to enforce compliance.
“We must resource and empower our regulators to effectively supervise, enforce compliance, and investigate violations,” she said.
Minister Mavetera said SADC countries have also nominated Zimbabwe to spearhead regional data protection capacity building.
On human capital development, she said 215 Data Protection Officers were recently certified, bringing the total to 1 070.
“This is a clear demonstration that Zimbabwe is steadily building the human capital required to sustain a trusted digital economy,” she said.
POTRAZ director-general Dr Gift Machengete said rapid technological developments, particularly in artificial intelligence, were exposing new cybersecurity risks that directly threaten data privacy.
“We cannot meaningfully speak about data privacy without speaking about cybersecurity, and we cannot speak about cybersecurity without acknowledging the role of innovation,” he said.
“These three — privacy, security, and innovation — are no longer separate conversations.”
Dr Machengete said the world was facing a new form of conflict driven by cyber capabilities.
“This is a different kind of war, this is a cyberwar. This war has not yet fully erupted, but it is imminent, and we may not have the luxury of time to prepare,” he said.
Dr Machengete said emerging technologies were now capable of detecting and potentially exploiting vulnerabilities in critical systems at unprecedented speed.
“What we are witnessing is not incremental progress; it is a fundamental shift in capability,” he said.
He said such systems could expose weaknesses in key infrastructure, including power grids, financial systems, telecommunications networks and health institutions.
“In the wrong hands, systems like these could enable coordinated cyberattacks at a scale and speed we have never seen before,” he said.
Dr Machengete said the risks include disruption of essential services and erosion of trust in institutions.
“Data could be manipulated or corrupted at scale, undermining trust in government systems, financial records, and even national security databases,” he said.
He said privacy cannot exist without strong cybersecurity systems.
“If cybersecurity becomes uncertain, then data privacy is inevitably at risk. Without security, privacy cannot exist,” he said, adding that the symposium marks a shift towards implementation of practical data protection measures.
“This Symposium marks an important shift — from awareness to implementation, from policy to practice.”
Minister Mavetera said digital technologies such as mobile financial services and artificial intelligence were central to economic growth but require strong safeguards.
“As data’s value grows, so do its vulnerabilities. Can a digitised economy thrive without trust? The answer is no,” she said.
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
GOVERNMENT has stepped up efforts to strengthen data protection, with Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera saying Zimbabwe’s digital economy cannot thrive without trust anchored on privacy.
Addressing delegates at the Third National Data Privacy Symposium in Bulawayo yesterday, Minister Mavetera said privacy must be embedded by design in all digital systems to safeguard citizens and drive innovation.
“Without privacy by design, there is no true consent. Without consent, there is no trust. And without trust, Zimbabwe, SADC and our entire continent cannot build the digital economies we so urgently need,” she said.
The symposium, held under the theme “Privacy as the Default: A Foundation for Trust and Innovation in a Digitally Enabled Economy,” was attended by policymakers, regulators and data protection experts from across the region.
Minister Mavetera said privacy is a constitutional right and should form the foundation of Zimbabwe’s digital transformation.
“For our digital economy to thrive, this right must be the very bedrock upon which we build all our systems,” she said.
The minister said the Government was strengthening the regulatory framework through the Cyber and Data Protection Act, while empowering the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) to enforce compliance.
“We must resource and empower our regulators to effectively supervise, enforce compliance, and investigate violations,” she said.
Minister Mavetera said SADC countries have also nominated Zimbabwe to spearhead regional data protection capacity building.
On human capital development, she said 215 Data Protection Officers were recently certified, bringing the total to 1 070.
“This is a clear demonstration that Zimbabwe is steadily building the human capital required to sustain a trusted digital economy,” she said.
POTRAZ director-general Dr Gift Machengete said rapid technological developments, particularly in artificial intelligence, were exposing new cybersecurity risks that directly threaten data privacy.
“We cannot meaningfully speak about data privacy without speaking about cybersecurity, and we cannot speak about cybersecurity without acknowledging the role of innovation,” he said.
“These three — privacy, security, and innovation — are no longer separate conversations.”
Dr Machengete said the world was facing a new form of conflict driven by cyber capabilities.
“This is a different kind of war, this is a cyberwar. This war has not yet fully erupted, but it is imminent, and we may not have the luxury of time to prepare,” he said.
Dr Machengete said emerging technologies were now capable of detecting and potentially exploiting vulnerabilities in critical systems at unprecedented speed.
“What we are witnessing is not incremental progress; it is a fundamental shift in capability,” he said.
He said such systems could expose weaknesses in key infrastructure, including power grids, financial systems, telecommunications networks and health institutions.
“In the wrong hands, systems like these could enable coordinated cyberattacks at a scale and speed we have never seen before,” he said.
Dr Machengete said the risks include disruption of essential services and erosion of trust in institutions.
“Data could be manipulated or corrupted at scale, undermining trust in government systems, financial records, and even national security databases,” he said.
He said privacy cannot exist without strong cybersecurity systems.
“If cybersecurity becomes uncertain, then data privacy is inevitably at risk. Without security, privacy cannot exist,” he said, adding that the symposium marks a shift towards implementation of practical data protection measures.
“This Symposium marks an important shift — from awareness to implementation, from policy to practice.”
Minister Mavetera said digital technologies such as mobile financial services and artificial intelligence were central to economic growth but required strong safeguards.
“As data’s value grows, so do its vulnerabilities. Can a digitised economy thrive without trust? The answer is no,” she said.
