PM: ICT ‘cannot be underestimated’

GOVERNMENT

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has emphasized the role of ICTs in socio-economic transformation, in his opening speech at the e-Tech Africa conference in Harare.

The inaugural e-Tech Africa conference and exhibition, set to become an annual event, focused on “Exploiting the Potential of Information Communication Technologies for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation”.

Tsvangirai noted: “ICTs play the critical role of interlinking the different sectors of the economy, linking the vast continents and connecting people worldwide for business, social or research purposes. With ICTs the world is at your click.”

He said the Zimbabwean Government had adopted a policy to make ICTs the central hub to connect the Medium Term Plan, the Millennium Development Goals and other programmes that bring social change to the people of Zimbabwe. The Government is also currently reviewing the Zimbabwe National ICT Policy to bring it in tandem with international best practices, he noted.

Tsvangirai said the computerization programme that the Ministry of ICTs is spearheading would ensure visibility of ICTs to marginalised communities, connecting them with the rest of the world at a click.

The programme has since incorporated e-learning software where the computers are now used as effective learning tools.

The e-learning concept was launched at Chogugudza School in Domboshwa and John Landa Nkomo school in Tsholotsho, with a view to reducing the economic, social and educational inequalities existing in communities.

“If successfully implemented, the e-learning concept will bridge the digital divide and improve our children’s exposure to the global family,” he said.

“The recently introduced Community Information Centres will serve as one stop ICTs access points. It would be noble to make these centres e-government access points and support our efforts for e-government development,” he added.