Online Reporter
Remember Deketeke and Belinda Chikandiwa
ZIMBABWE has taken a major step towards fortifying its cyber defences after signing crucial Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing cybersecurity infrastructure and developing local human capital.
The signing ceremony was held at the national Cyber Security Expo and Conference in Harare yesterday.
A MoU was signed between Zimbabwe’s Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services and the Russian ZIM Consortium under a project known as CyberZIM, which will focus on cybersecurity collaboration, training and infrastructure development.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, ICT, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera said the agreement marked a milestone in Zimbabwe’s ongoing efforts to secure its digital ecosystem and prepare citizens, especially the youth, for emerging technological threats.
“We are very grateful in Zimbabwe that we are doing quite a lot in terms of our cyber security systems. Today (yesterday) we have signed an MOU on the sidelines of our Cyber Security Expo and Conference,” she said.
“What it means is that we are going to get our young people trained in cyber security. We are also enhancing our infrastructure to make sure that we are responding to threats quicker than ever.”
Minister Mavetera said the agreements also promote international collaboration, with partners including organisations from Russia expressing interest in supporting Zimbabwe’s capacity-building programmes.
“We are glad that we have got organisations coming from Russia who want to come and assist us to make sure that we enhance our workforce and invest in human capital in terms of cyber security,” she said.
October is recognised globally as Cyber Security Awareness Month and Zimbabwe commemorates it annually by raising awareness on safe online practices and the importance of data protection.
CyberZIM representative Mr Sergey and Andreev said: “This (project) will employ a number of Zimbabwean young people whom we are going to train.”
He added that the initiative is a holistic package of “education and business creation and export possibility”.
Central to the plan is the construction of specialised infrastructure to support the training of a large number of young Zimbabweans.
Mr Andreev highlighted the global demand for such skills, stating that the initiative will open a world of opportunity for the nation’s youths.
“Actually, in the world today, there is a huge lack of competence . . . you actually give them a lot of opportunities for jobs.
“It is not a hard job to compromise artificial intelligence,” he cautioned, underscoring the dual-edged nature of the technology.
The partnership is seen as a strategic step that will not only enhance Zimbabwe’s digital sovereignty and create high-value jobs, but also fortify the enduring friendship between the two nations through shared technological advancement.
Russian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Nikolai Vladimirovich Krasilnikov described the field of cybersecurity as a critical pillar of socio-economic development and commended both nations for prioritising joint efforts in this area.
“We achieved some quite good results in sectors like mining, healthcare, higher education, and now we participate in a very remarkable event which confirms the eagerness of Moscow and Harare to cooperate fruitfully in the ICT sphere, which is the key driver of the socio-economic development of both our nations,” he said.
Highlighting Russia’s active participation in the Harare conference, the diplomat noted that several leading Russian technology firms were present, demonstrating their readiness to support Zimbabwe’s digital transformation.
Ambassador Krasilnikov joined Minister Mavetera on stage to present certificates to Zimbabwean students who completed advanced cybersecurity training conducted by Russian firms Komi and CyberProse, both of whom operate under the consortium.
He said the partnership was aimed at sharing expertise and knowledge for mutual benefit, describing the initiative as a symbol of the “brotherly” relationship between the two nations.
