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Elliot Ziwira Senior Writer
Since the world has become smarter, the Second Republic, under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa, and through the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services led by Dr Jenfan Muswere, has become relentless in its pursuit of shifting drifts in technology so as to fulfil its mandate to the citizens of Zimbabwe.
In Ian Smith’s colonial Rhodesia, blacks had limited access to telecommunications, since the repressive and discriminatory laws of the time elbowed them out as second class citizens.
Independence in April 1980 opened up the space to the indigenous people of Zimbabwe, although the technological pace remained too quick for the young country to keep abreast.
Pursuant of the drive to open up spaces for its citizens, the Government, through the Ministry of Roads and Road Traffic, Posts and Telecommunications, established the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation of Zimbabwe (PTC) by enacting the Postal and Telecommunications Act. This followed the promulgation of the Zimbabwe Postal Services Amendment Act through Statutory Instrument 175.
The PTC was later unbundled into three companies in 2000, thus, TelOne, NetOne and Zimpost were born. All these entities were regulated by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, now Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).
The birth of the ICT ministry in 2009, changed outcomes for the better, while the coming on board of the Second Republic in November 2017 reshaped the vision for a knowledge-based society which is not only universally connected to its own realities, but also those prevailing across the global village, regardless of geopolitical, social or economic status.
The endeavour to uphold such a society becomes cumbersome if regulation is lax. POTRAZ, therefore, steps up to the plate in regulating the postal and telecommunications sector on behalf of the ministry.
The ministry’s milestones since 2017 are too glaring to be clogged, neither can they be overstressed.
Because information is power, particularly in an era where knowledge-based innovation is in vogue globally, which has led to the formation of companies like Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Google, among others, the Second Republic committed itself to joining the pack in the superhighway.
It is trite that in an Internet-driven era, information is power, and those that control information dissemination are lords, kings even. The means of production in the Information Revolution is the Internet. It is the soul, just like land was to the Agricultural Revolution, and factories were to the Industrial Revolution. In such an epoch, information-driven innovation becomes the way to go.
Alive to how the global economy shapes livelihoods through the reduction of poverty and improved healthcare, the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, endeavours to create opportunities for access to affordable and efficient ICT infrastructure across the country.
ICT is universal as it transcends economic sectors, social groupings and demographics, which makes Dr Muswere’s ministry key in the transformation of the country’s fortunes. A good ICT base makes for a strong launchpad for the long haul that takes every citizen on board.
To that end, the ministry has not been found wanting in the provision of enabling infrastructure beginning at the village and primary school levels.
Through POTRAZ, the ministry opened digital hubs known as Containerised Village Information Centres (CVICs) or Community Information Centres (CIC) across the country, to ensure that every citizen has access to broadband connectivity and acquires basic ICT literacy.
Indeed, in the Second Republic no one and no place should be left behind in the digital superhighway.
CVICs are set to address ICT needs for people living in areas where conventional CICs could not be established at post offices. CVICs are temporary structures that are modular and easy to fabricate and deploy as compared to permanent ones. They can, therefore, be moved from one area to another if the need arises.
About eight CVICs and 32 CICs were commissioned under the programme countrywide.
In this digital eon, these centres are vital in empowering Zimbabweans, as the idea is to offer every citizen access to ICT and basic literacy in ICT, which dovetails with the ministry’s obligation to the nation as enshrined in National Development Strategy 1.
In a quest to build requisite skills and competences for harnessing the digital economy for socio-economic growth, the ministry established the ICT Innovation Drive, aimed at promoting a culture of innovation among the youths.
Informed by the country’s thrust of Education 5.0, and the imperatives of NDS 1, the Innovation Drive is assisting innovation hubs at universities in Zimbabwe in acquiring the requisite tools for the realisation of the national vision.
Young innovators, including those outside the formal education system, are also being nurtured through the Innovation Drive by providing seed capital in the form of grants for projects still at ideation stage.
The ministry has also distributed 3 360 laptops, 59 printers and 59 projectors for use in 154 schools in the country’s 10 provinces, with 52 of them having been connected to the superhighway.
These are part of the 4 000 laptops, 1 500 printers and 1 500 projectors purchased by the ministry for distribution.
At least 566 schools countrywide benefited from the bandwidth assistance programme, and 802 were assisted on e-learning, while 101 laboratories were established. Also, 62 public finance manage system (PFMS) kiosks were built in all provinces to enhance service delivery and public finance management.
Among other purposes, the ministry aims to exploit the potential of Information Communication Technologies, Postal and Courier Services for sustainable socio-economic development in Zimbabwe.
By promoting inclusivity, sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation, the ministry ensures equitable access to digital technologies, which empowers all the people of Zimbabwe, thus, bettering the quality of their lives.
In addition, the ministry is committed to the creation of a communication infrastructure background for universal connectivity in Zimbabwe, and promote e-Government for service delivery.
On that aspect, an international Internet Bandwidth Gateway was established, with tests having been done in June 2021.
To enhance good governance, and decision making among Government ministries and departments, as well as increased deployment of e-services, President Mnangagwa commissioned the National Data Centre in Harare on February 24, 2021.
In March of the same year, the President launched the National ICT device factory in Msasa, Harare, with 2 000 gadgets having been assembled so far. The objective of the establishment of the factory was to increase access to ICT infrastructure, improve on the availability of enabling gadgets at reasonable cost and creation of employment.
Furthermore, Public Service Commission ICT training centres were established in Murehwa, Mashonaland East Province, Chinhoyi in Mashonaland East and Toronto in Manicaland, while the Government Communication Suite was launched on September 14, 2021.
Following the establishment of the suite, which now has 3 000 users connected to it, 100 officials were trained in virtual conferencing.
Technological advancements have led to a shift from fixed networks to mobile ones. Hence, the need for the ministry to keep eyes on the ball.
According to POTRAZ, in the fourth quarter of 2019 fixed telephone lines declined to 265,734 from 274,408 recorded in the third quarter as Zimbabweans shifted to mobile phones.
As of 2019, there were 13,2 million active mobile subscriptions, translating to a mobile penetration rate of 90,6 percent. Zimbabwe had 8,84 million active Internet subscribers in 2019 with a penetration rate of 60,6 percent.
The increase in mobile penetration means more Zimbabweans now have access to the global space as compared to the 1990s and early 2000s. With more information dissemination occurring through social media, an Internet penetration rate of 60,6 percent goes a long way in achieving a knowledge-based and universally connected society.
Today, as the world faces the Covid-19 pandemic, Zimbabweans are not left behind in terms of what is happening around them, and what obtains in their own localities. Through POTRAZ, the ministry ensures fair play regarding tariffs.
More players in the communications business have been licensed to operate, hence, bringing the world closer to citizens.
Another milestone has been set in the mobile money sector, with platforms like EcoCash, OneWallet and TeleCash being created for ease of transaction.
According to POTRAZ, as of June 30, 2019, there were 477,4 million mobile money transactions. There were seven million mobile money subscriptions in the same year.
The report indicates that cash-in transactions grew 108 percent to $2,44 billion from $1,17 billion in the previous quarter. On the other hand, cash-out transactions were $1,29 billion, which was 63 percent above those recorded in the previous quarter.
In addition, other online applications offering goods and services have been brought to citizens’ doorsteps.
The International Internet Transit: Redundant 1G International Internet link from South Africa through Beitbridge was commissioned to improve on connection to the internet. Higher and tertiary institutions have also benefited from the Intranet, which links four polytechnics and four teachers’ colleges. The numbers are set to increase to eight.
Agriculture colleges have also not been left out: a national e-learning programme was specifically begun for them.
Therefore, as the Information Revolution ever gains traction, with social media keyboard warriors frantically clicking on platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, led by Dr Jenfan Muswere, remains committed to their freedom of expression and thirst for information.
It should be remembered that when Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter gave the world its first tweet on March 21, 2006 which read: “Just setting up my twrttr”, and the first tweet was sent from space in 2009, technology did not take a nap. And, the Second Republic is all too aware of that reality.
Online Reporter