IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in Bulawayo, Judith Ncube, has officially launched the Smart City Surveillance System, a significant step in utilizing technology to fight crime in the city. The surveillance system is a collaborative initiative between the Bulawayo Business Against Crime Forum of Zimbabwe (BACFOZ) and local security agency Safeguard.

This project marks a major milestone in the city's efforts to embrace modern policing techniques, with law enforcement set to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into crime prevention and investigation. The use of technology is expected to fundamentally change how crime is managed, making it easier to monitor and respond to criminal activities in real-time.

Cowdray Park and the former Ascot Race Course in Bulawayo have been identified as potential sites for the construction of smart cities, with a feasibility study already being embarked on.

President Mnangagwa recently emphasised the need for the country to implement the smart city concept in line with the recently launched climate policy. This saw the Government sending a team led by Local Government and Public Works Minister Cde July Moyo to the United Arab Emirates to study how best the concept could be fully implemented.

The Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) has updated its master plan to align with Smart City design concepts, as part of efforts to modernise research infrastructure and promote innovation across Zimbabwe.

Speaking during a stakeholder engagement workshop in Bulawayo on Wednesday, SIRDC chief executive officer Dr Leonard Madzingaidzo said the updated plan provides for the expansion of research infrastructure, establishment of vaccine production facilities, and the creation of a Forensic and Cybersecurity University, among other specialised laboratories.

The City of Bulawayo has proposed to install solar powered streetlights in most parts of the city in 2026 as part of council’s smart city initiatives, further reducing the electricity bill.

This is contained in the city’s proposed 2026 budget presentation that Council shared with stakeholders during the consultation meetings.

The installation of solar powered streetlights is part of the Public Lighting priorities as requested by stakeholders in the review of the 2025 budget.

Cabinet began its 2020 business paperless yesterday, following the launch of the first phase of the e-Cabinet project by President Mnangagwa. The project is part of a wider programme to modernise the public sector and includes the development of electronic systems to speed up the internal functions of Government and improve efficiency.

The project, launched yesterday, was initiated in 2005, but its implementation was stalled by inadequate financial and material resources.

“The country is in a period of rebuilding and the timing for investment could not be better,” he said.

The Minister is also on record as saying that Zimbabwe is moving ahead with plans to push its ICT sector to “the next level” by 2015, orchestrated through the Zimbabwe National ICT Policy Framework, first launched in 2007 and adapted to keep up with industry developments.

Government institutions in Zimbabwe continue to lag behind in using ICTs and the Internet for public services to the citizens.

According to a survey ‘Transparency Assessment’ by media watchdog Misa Zimbabwe last year, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Public Service Commission were the most secretive state departments.

Community information centres (CIC) being commissioned in various parts of the country can promote e-agriculture, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has said.

In his speech at the commissioning of the Rafingora CIC on Friday, Potraz director-general Gift Machengete said: “Rafingora is a predominantly farming community and the benefits that this centre will bring to the farmers are enormous.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has seen the introduction of restrictions in movement, gatherings, introduction of quarantines and closures of educational establishments among other measures implemented to contain the virus in Zimbabwe. This crisis has brought to the fore the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in businesses, healthcare, education and public services.

Due to COVID-19 Zimbabweans are embracing the digital life; with activities ranging from online entertainment, increased use of real-time online broadcasts via platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to online meetings and even parliament sessions via platforms such as Zoom. The Ministry of Information has also been very active disseminating COVID-19 related information via online platforms and Facebook groups.

Zimbabwe has made strides to digitise the courts in line with international best practises, Information Communication Technology (ICT) minister Jenfan Muswere has said.

Muswere, who was officiating at the certification ceremony of Constitutional Court judges who had completed training, said the paperless court system, to be launched on May 1, would solve numerous challenges that have negatively affected court operations.

The CYBER CITY project in Mt Hampden, Harare, being spearheaded by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration will enrich top leaders and be the cornerstone in the government’s surveillance of its citizens, evidence gathered by NewsDay Weekender has shown.

The technology for the project is from China. Implementation of the model, its organisational structure and management of the new city has already been announced by Cabinet.

In Zimbabwe however, citizens do not have access to adequate information to base decisions on and are therefore not empowered to take charge of their destinies by participating in the critical discourses shaping policy formulation, service delivery principles and governance priorities. Expansion in the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) has however provided an opportunity for the government to increase the amount of information Zimbabweans have access to and to generate discourse between the public and those who govern them.

Tourism Authority (ZTA) will tighten its monitoring of the sector to ensure more transparency as well as curb foreign currency leakages, an official has said.

ZTA acting chief executive Rita Likukuma told NewsDay that government was adopting e-governance systems in order to deal with revenue leakages.

We know that many politicians conveniently swear to serve the electorate when seeking votes and then translate that into an oath of convenience for themselves as they help themselves.

Egyptian experts are expected in Zimbabwe soon for preliminary works on the construction of a new smart city in Mt Hampden, The Sunday Mail has learnt.

Zimbabwe and Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in July 2023 to collaborate on the planning, design, construction and management of the new smart city development in Mt Hampden, which is set to become the new capital.

President Mnangagwa has said Government has allocated $43 billion in devolution funds to local authorities to upgrade infrastructure to meet the ongoing development agenda of creating smart cities.

Government approved the smart cities concept last year in line with the vision of having an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Courier Services minister Kazembe Kazembe says going digital is no longer a matter of choice, but a key driver of economic development.

“Going digital is, therefore, no longer a simple matter of choice or a demonstration of opulence. Rather it is the new bedrock of our economy and a driver of the needed growth,” Kazembe told Gutu residents last week.

A massive street lighting programme has been rolled out countrywide with a pilot project being carried out in Harare where the installation of more than 1 200 new lights is currently underway.

The project, which will be cascaded to all the country’s cities, towns and growth points, is a product of President Mnangagwa’s engagement and re-engagement policy as well as his “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra.

The Government will install Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) in all the cities' Central Business Districts (CBDs) as part of its safe city initiative, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said Harare CBD is now covered with CCTV and the programme would be rolled out in other cities with Bulawayo being the next.

During the 36th Cabinet Matrix held yesterday, the Minister of Information Monica Mutsvangwa briefed the Cabinet regarding progress on moving towards a paperless eCabinet system that will change the way cabinet meetings are held.

The eCabinet will be accompanied by an “Executive Electronic Dashboard” allowing for the monitoring of priority government programmes in realtime. Both innovations are part of the much talked about eGovernment program which also includes ICT-based security and communication tools allowing citizens to engage with their government.