Online Reporter
Peter Matika, [email protected]
DATA governance must transcend national boundaries, with regional collaboration critical in shaping Africa’s digital future, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister, Tatenda Mavetera, has said.
Addressing delegates at the 3rd National Data Privacy Symposium in Bulawayo, Minister Mavetera stressed the need for stronger co-operation, ethical innovation and robust cybersecurity systems in an increasingly interconnected digital landscape.
“Data knows no borders and neither should our solutions. Zimbabwe’s collaboration with regional partners through SADC, the Network of African Data Protection Authorities and peer Data Protection Authorities enhances our leadership in Africa’s digital future. Harmonisation and co-operation are key to digital trade and integration,” she said.
Minister Mavetera urged stakeholders across sectors to adopt a proactive and co-ordinated approach to data protection, calling on regulators to embrace risk-based, innovation-friendly oversight, while industry players should embed privacy-by-design principles at the development stage of technologies.
Public institutions, she said, must remain custodians of citizen trust, while professionals are expected to uphold high ethical and technical standards. Minister Mavetera also highlighted the role of academia and civil society in fostering informed dialogue around digital governance issues.
“The Government of Zimbabwe stands firm in its dedication to a secure, ethical, and innovative digital future. The symposium is a reflection of the country’s growing maturity in handling data protection issues,” she said.
The minister emphasised that privacy is not merely a compliance requirement, but a constitutional right and a cornerstone of trust in the digital economy, guided by Zimbabwe’s legislative framework, including the Cyber and Data Protection Act.
The symposium comes at a time when African countries are accelerating digital transformation, with increased adoption of e-government services, mobile financial platforms and cross-border digital trade, all of which require strong and harmonised data protection systems.
Speaking during the same event, director-general of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), Dr Gift Machengete, warned that the intersection of data privacy, cybersecurity and innovation is creating new and complex risks that demand urgent attention.
“We cannot meaningfully speak about data privacy without speaking about cybersecurity, and we cannot speak about cybersecurity without acknowledging the role of innovation. These three are no longer separate conversations; they are deeply intertwined,” he said.
Dr Machengete highlighted emerging global threats, noting that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence are redefining cybersecurity risks and exposing vulnerabilities in critical systems.
He cited a recent development involving a model known as Claude Mythos, which has demonstrated the ability to detect previously unknown weaknesses in major digital systems, raising concerns about the potential for exploitation.
“What we are witnessing is not incremental progress; it is a fundamental shift in capability. In the wrong hands, such technologies could be used to systematically map and exploit weaknesses in critical infrastructure — from power grids and telecommunications networks to financial systems and hospitals,” he said.
Dr Machengete warned that cyber threats are evolving into what he described as an “imminent cyberwar”, capable of disrupting essential services, undermining public trust and destabilising economies.
“If cybersecurity becomes uncertain, then data privacy is inevitably at risk. Privacy depends fundamentally on the integrity and security of the systems that hold personal data,” he said.
Dr Machengete said the symposium comes at a critical time, as countries across Africa work to strengthen frameworks that protect personal data while supporting innovation.
“This room represents policymakers, regulators, technologists, legal practitioners, academics and innovators.
“This diversity is necessary in navigating an interconnected and constantly evolving digital world,” he said.
Held under the theme “Privacy as the Default — A Foundation for Trust and Innovation in a Digitally Enabled Economy,” the symposium is expected to focus on practical interventions such as strengthening data protection frameworks, improving breach response mechanisms and advancing privacy-by-design principles.
Dr Machengete said Zimbabwe is now shifting from policy formulation to implementation, with trust emerging as a key pillar of the digital economy and the broader national development agenda.
“With foresight, collaboration and urgency, we can build a digital ecosystem that is not only innovative, but secure; not only efficient, but trustworthy; and not only connected, but resilient,” he said.
Dr Machengete urged participants to ensure that discussions at the symposium translate into concrete action, emphasising that privacy must be embedded as a default principle in all digital systems.
The symposium, hosted by Potraz, ends today and is part of Zimbabwe’s broader efforts to position itself as a regional leader in data protection, cybersecurity and digital transformation in line with Vision 2030.
Delegates from South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda are attending the event.
