Source: Zim takes digital leap – herald Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter CONCERTED investment in the Information Communication Technology sector is bearing fruit, guaranteeing connectivity for a data and knowledge future, President Mnangagwa has said. The country, he said, continues to register progress with regard to mobile service coverage and this has brought development for ordinary […]
CONCERTED investment in the Information Communication Technology sector is bearing fruit, guaranteeing connectivity for a data and knowledge future, President Mnangagwa has said.
The country, he said, continues to register progress with regard to mobile service coverage and this has brought development for ordinary people.
President Mnangagwa said this yesterday while delivering a keynote address at the launch of the Zimbabwe National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2026-2030) at Parliament Building in Mount Hampden.
“My dear countrymen and women, it is pleasing that, under the Second Republic, Government has been purposeful in building as well as facilitating digital infrastructure that forms a sound base to encourage our country’s development aspirations,” he said.
“Consecutive investments in the ICT sector and telecommunications are bearing fruit and guarantee the requisite connectivity for a data and knowledge future. To date, progress continues to be made with regard to mobile services coverage. The level of connectivity in the country’s digital ecosystem is bringing information and communication tools closer to the majority of our people.”
President Mnangagwa is joined by Information and Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera (seated, second from left), United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mr Edward Kallon (seated, left), Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda (second from right), Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda (second from right, back row) Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Charles Tavengwa (seated, right), Cabinet ministers and other senior officials at a photo session after the official launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2026-2030) at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden yesterday. — Picture: Believe Nyakudjara
He said Internet access had grown, with Zimbabweans having access to the digital space and tools.
“This commendable internet penetration forms a vital pool of potential users and creators in the artificial intelligence value chain. I say well done. It is praiseworthy that the postal and courier services sub-sector has been modernised and integrated into the e-commerce-enabled platforms,” said President Mnangagwa.
“These successes represent a country and nation positioning itself towards a prosperous and brighter future. On a broader scale, I am encouraged by the positive spill-offs from our own home-grown artificial intelligence ecosystem, which has taken root. These are driven by the ingenuity of our young, talented boys and girls, academics and the tech-savvy entrepreneurs we have in our country.”
He commended the increased development of AI-powered solutions addressing people’s needs, coming after the Government’s deliberate support for start-ups and the rollout of innovation hubs. “These include chat-bots in local languages to assist farmers, machine learning models predicting commodity market prices and computer vision systems for early detection of crop diseases, among others. While remarkable progress has been recorded within our institutions, research on the application of Artificial Intelligence in areas such as public health and environmental monitoring should be scaled up to improve national capabilities in this respect,” he said.
He said the use of Artificial Intelligence in financial technology and the public sector has gone a long way Zim takes digital leap towards accelerating automation, service delivery, the modernisation of urban planning and land use management, as well as optimising energy distribution.
“Through this Strategy, the Whole-of-Government and Society Approach must be leveraged towards the realisation of the desired national development aspirations and impactful results. As engines of innovation and adoption, the private sector is challenged to invest in Artificial Intelligence, partner with start-ups to transform our industries and leapfrog our country’s modernisation and industrialisation,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said there was a need to expedite the promulgation of legislation to protect children against the harmful effects of digital platforms.
“By launching this strategy, here at the New Parliament Building, the sector, along with Parliament, must speed up the development of legislation that will guarantee online protection of our children and minors, in particular against the harmful effects of social media and digital platforms. We have a duty to raise them up in the rich ways of our cultural heritage and traditions, in spite of the inroads made by external influences. We dare not drop the ball,” said President Mnangagwa.
“We must look to the future, inspired by our country’s rich past. Let us implement this strategy with a renewed sense of purpose, unity, focus and determination. We must work together to ensure that the benefits of Artificial Intelligence impact every village, ward, district, town and city.”
President Mnangagwa underscored the great role played by Artificial Intelligence, saying it was at the heart of seismic technological transformation, reshaping economies and societies at an unprecedented pace.
“Further, the current paradigm brings to the fore the urgent need to increase capacities towards digital architecture and sovereignty. The Zimbabwe we all envision must be a digitally robust and agile state. We have the duty to embrace emerging technologies to unlock numerous Artificial Intelligence-driven opportunities that will propel modernisation, industrialisation and sustainable economic growth,” said President Mnangagwa.
“It is, therefore, with immense jubilation that I address this occasion as we launch the Zimbabwe National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which will undoubtedly ignite a new chapter in our country’s ongoing development trajectory.”
He said the strategy was a declaration of the country’s collective readiness for the transformative impact of AI.
“It is a bold response to the disruptive effects of the ever-evolving technological era. As a key development enabler, this strategy should help unleash our full potential and new frontiers in agriculture, mining, healthcare, finance and education, among other aspects of our economy,” said President Mnangagwa.
“It is commendable that this strategy incorporates various perspectives of a broad cross-section of stakeholders as outlined in the Zimbabwe Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report.”
The launch was running under the theme “Harnessing AI for inclusive development”, and the strategy aims to accelerate digital transformation, economic growth and innovation.
Yesterday’s event was attended by Information, Communication and Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera, other Cabinet ministers, United Nations Resident Coordinator Mr Edward Kallon, captains of industry in the ICT sector, among other stakeholders.
