Government is set to open more communication centres across the country’s 52 districts as it moves to promote technological advancement for economic growth in rural communities. This dovetails into President Mugabe’s call to promote Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a tool to foster socio-economic development. This will also assist rural communities to access e-government services and information.
Addressing delegates at the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day celebrations in Muzarabani on Wednesday, Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Cde Supa Mandiwanzira said more communication centres would be launched countrywide.
The celebrations also saw the launch of the Muzarabani Community Information Centre.
“We have brought more computers and Internet connection to Muzarabani as we move to promote technology advancement from the grassroots,” he said.
“This is President Mugabe’s initiative to ensure that each and every district across the country opens a communication centre.
“We did not hand pick Muzarabani for no apparent reason; we took our time to identify areas that are not technologically informed so that we can promote the telecommunications.”
Minister Mandiwanzira said ICTs had the potential to protect the public from disasters as they would be well informed.
“Each year people in Muzarabani suffer from drought or flood impacts as everyone is caught unawares by these natural disasters,” he said.
“With technology, POTRAZ will be working with the provincial minister’s office so that they install disaster preparedness systems that will assist people before drought or even floods strike.”
Minister Mandiwanzira urged telecommunication companies to prioritise remote areas without network connectivity. “There are some areas that do not have network connections and people are struggling to communicate and Chawarura, Mangwenja, Chiwenga, Kairezi and Kaitano are some of the areas that do not have boosters for communication,” he said.
“Network providers should immediately attend to some of these areas by prioritising infrastructure sharing, which will see connectivity being successfully spread nationwide.”
Minister of State for Mashonaland Province Advocate Martin Dinha hailed Government’s efforts in promoting ICTs through laptop donations in 10 schools in the region, saying as one of the most technologically backward provinces, the community lived to testify over the technology boost.
In a speech read on his behalf by POTRAZ acting director general Mrs Caecilia Nyamutswa, United Nations Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon said ICTs were a poverty reduction strategy that could also be used to address climate change issues in the world.
“Technologies provide smart solutions to address climate change, hunger, poverty and other global challenges,” he said.
“They are key instruments for providing mobile health care and access to education, empowering women, improving efficiencies in industrial and agricultural production and safeguarding the environment.”
Mr Ban urged governments, businesses and civil society leaders to develop new technologies that have a lasting social impact to promote unity in the world.
This year’s World Telecommunication and Information Society Day ran under the theme: “ICT Entrepreneurship for Social Impact”.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Samantha Chigogo
Quelle/Source: The Herald, 21.05.2016
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