http://www.viewlondon.co.uk
22
March 2009
Zimbabwe's co-home affairs ministers have been summoned by
parliament to
explain the use of torture by the police on suspects, human
rights and
opposition activists in a bid to force
confessions.
President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party co-shares the home
affairs ministry
with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
party, led by
Morgan Tsvangirai, who is also the country's prime minister in
line with a
power-sharing agreement signed last September.
More than
50 human rights and MDC activists, who were held incommunicado by
state
security agents following their arrest in October in connection with
acts of
insurgency against President Mugabe, have alleged serious torture at
the
hands of the police.
Some of the activists who were recently released
along with a leading human
rights activist, Jestina Mukoko, claimed that,
while in custody, they were
denied food, beaten on the soles of their feet
and had their bodies flogged
to force them to admit to plans to topple
Mugabe.
Lovemore Moyo, Zimbabwe's speaker of parliament told
inthenews.co.uk that
the house of assembly "will quiz the co-home affairs
ministers over the use
of torture as part of moves to push government to
implement political terms
under a power sharing agreement between Mugabe and
the opposition".
"The house of assembly will on Wednesday also quiz the
co-home affairs
ministers on why the country is yet to ratify the United
Nations' convention
against torture so that torture is removed from our
society," Moyo, the
speaker of the Zimbabwe Parliament, said.
Kembo
Mohadi (Zanu-PF) and Giles Mutsekwa (MDC) are the co-home affairs
ministers.
The previous week, the joint monitoring and implementation
committee
(JOMIC) - the principal charged with overseeing the implementation
of
provisions of the MDC-Zanu-PF power-sharing deal - also summoned the two
home affairs ministers over the persistent detention of the remaining
political prisoners.
Under the power-sharing deal signed last year,
Mugabe and Tsvangirai agreed
to implement various political reforms before
foreign financial aid can
start flowing to the southern African country to
put it on a path to
economic recovery.
President Mugabe on Thursday
called for foreign aid to revive his nation's
shattered economy and urged
Washington and Brussels to lift sanctions on his
inner
circle.
However, although his long-time rival Tsvangirai became prime
minister in a
unity government last month, western countries say they will
maintain the
sanctions until the 85-year-old leader proves he is ready to
reform.
The European Union and the United States maintain a travel ban
and asset
freeze on Mugabe and his inner circle in protest at controversial
elections
and alleged human rights abuses by his government.
© Adfero Ltd
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Saturday, 21 March
2009
HARARE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's office has called
a
meeting of security and agricultural ministries next week to discuss
continuing farm invasions and violence in the country.
Sources in
the all-inclusive government said yesterday the Prime
Minister's office has
been inundated with local and international calls
about renewed chaos in the
country's commercial farming sector where state
security agents and ZANU PF
militia are reportedly seizing farms belonging
to the few remaining white
farmers.
The sources added that the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) had
lodged
complaints with the Prime Minister's office over the violence on the
farms.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Gorden Moyo
would
convene the meeting that will be attended by co-Ministers of Home
Affairs
Kembo Mohadi and Giles Mutsekwa, Defence Minister Emmerson
Mnangagwa,
National Security Minister, Sydney Sekeramayi, Police
Commissioner General
Augustine Chihuri, CIO chief Happyton Bonyongwe, among
other security
chiefs.
Representatives from the CFU which
represents mainly large-scale white
commercial farmers were also expected to
attend the meeting, whose exact
date was yet to be fixed according to
sources.
Moyo confirmed that concerns had been raised over the fresh
land
invasions and violence in the countryside but he was reluctant to
confirm
whether a meeting to put an end to the disturbances in the
commercial
farming sector had been scheduled for next week.
"What I
can say is that the Prime Minister's Office is attending to
the issue," said
Moyo, adding: "We are concerned that such things should be
taking place
during an inclusive government," he said.
Our sources said Tsvangirai
ordered Moyo to convene the meeting
although he will not be able to attend
as he is away on compassionate leave
with his family in South Africa
following the loss of his wife in a car
accident in which he escaped with
head and neck injuries.
Tsvangirai has repeatedly called for a halt to
farm invasions. But the
message seems to have fallen on deaf ears as Zanu
(PF) supporters have
invaded more farms over the past weeks, disrupting
production in country
where millions of people face hunger.
President Robert Mugabe's remarks on the eve of his 85th birthday,
urging
all white commercial farmers who had been served with notices after
the
government acquired their properties to vacate immediately, appeared to
have
sparked a wave of fresh farm invasions by supporters of his Zanu (PF)
party.
A visiting Danish minister Ulla Tornaes on Thursday advised
Zimbabwe's
new unity government to restore the rule of law and stop farm
invasions if
it wants to boost its chances of getting much needed aid from
the West.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai last month formed a power-sharing
government to
tackle Zimbabwe's economic and humanitarian crisis.
Tsvangirai has promised to restore relations with Western countries,
the IMF
and other international institutions while Mugabe used the launch of
the
government's latest economic recovery programme to plead for foreign
assistance to revive Zimbabwe's economy.
Once a model African
economy, Zimbabwe is suffering a debilitating
economic and humanitarian
crisis that is highlighted by the world's highest
inflation rate of more
than 231 million percent, acute shortages of food and
basic
commodities.
Western governments, whose support is key to any programme
to revive
Zimbabwe's comatose economy, have said they would not provide aid
to the
southern African country until there is evidence the unity government
is
committed to implementing genuine political and economic reform.
http://www.guardian.co.uk
Alex Duval Smith in
Johannesburg
The Observer, Sunday 22 March 2009
South Africa's most
respected politician has told the west that democracy
can only succeed in
Zimbabwe if Britain, the EU and the US reverse their
restrictive aid
policies against Robert Mugabe's regime.
The finance minister Trevor
Manuel used an interview with the Observer to
demand that Britain and other
donors urgently inject cash into Zimbabwe's
treasury rather than give it
exclusively to foreign humanitarian agencies.
"You have to support the
government," Manuel said. "Zimbabwe's foreign
friends are opposed to the
notion that prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai and
his ministers are just
puppets. But if you just have outside agencies
running the show, then that
notion is amplified. And people will say
Tsvangirai is not even trusted by
his friends."
Tsvangirai and several ministers from the Movement for
Democratic Change
were sworn in over a month ago. But faced with a bankrupt
treasury, they are
struggling to raise the £35m-a-month payroll for the
country's civil
servants, as well as for the politically-crucial police and
army.
Britain, which spends £45m on humanitarian aid in Zimbabwe every
year,
maintains the government is too corrupt to merit direct aid. Other
donors
share Britain's position and the EU and US have sanctions in
place.
But Manuel, 53, said the new unity government is running out of
time. "There
is a fundamental set of issues that needs to be addressed. But
they (the
government) have to be afforded the opportunity to make a
difference."
Manuel claimed his call for direct aid is supported by
Mugabe's staunchest
critics in Africa, including Botswana's president Ian
Khama and Kenyan prime
minister Raila Odinga.
Manuel's call came
after Mugabe made a speech on Thursday in which for the
first time he spoke
explicitly in the name of the "inclusive government"
that includes former
political prisoner Tendai Biti as finance minister.
At the launch of an
economic policy document drafted by Biti, the president
said: "I, on behalf
of the inclusive government and the people of Zimbabwe,
say, 'Friends of
Zimbabwe, please come to our aid'." He appealed for £3.5bn,
promised to
"arrest" farm invasions and called for an end to sanctions.
The US
immediately rejected the call. "We have not yet seen sufficient
evidence
that they are on a path to inclusive and effective governance as
well as
respect for human rights and the rule of law," said state department
spokesman Robert Wood.
Australia, Norway and Sweden have recently
announced expanded humanitarian
aid programmes to Zimbabwe, but all of them
are earmarked for international
agencies, such as Britain's Department for
International Development (DFID)
and the Red Cross.
Even though the
unity government was brokered as a result of a mediation led
by former South
African president Thabo Mbeki, Zimbabwe's regional
neighbours have not
stumped up cash to support it. Manuel said the African
nations could not be
expected to pay: "You have to understand this is a
region in poverty. If
large hearts and deep pockets be the measure of
goodwill, you couldn't be
asking at a worse time."
Western countries held a donor meeting in
Washington on Friday to take stock
of their position but there was no
indication they intended to extend
funding to Zimbabwe's
treasury.
Teams from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank are
currently in
Zimbabwe to study how to resume relations with the
country.
http://news.iafrica.com
Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:30
About 4000 Zimbabwean refugees
currently staying at the Central Methodist
Church in Johannesburg will be
moved according to Gauteng local government
MEC Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu,
SABC news reported on Saturday.
Mahlangu said six sites had been
identified across the province which could
house the refugees for three
months.
She said government would negotiate with the refugees about the
move and
no-one would be forced to leave the church.
"We have been
able to identify several places within Gauteng that can house
the foreign
nationals who are currently residing at the church," she told
SABC
news.
"This will therefore enable the church to reduce the overcrowding
that has
happened there and priority will be given to those who are sleeping
in the
streets."
Mahlangu said that the church's Bishop Paul Verryn
and various committees
would visit the sites to satisfy themselves that the
locations were suitable
for people to be living in.
Sapa
http://www.africasia.com
JOHANNESBURG,
March 22 (AFP)
Southern
African leaders will meet on March 30 in Cape Town to discuss the
political
crisis in Madagascar and economic aid for Zimbabwe, South Africa's
foreign
ministry said Sunday.
The 15-nation Southern African Development Community
(SADC) has refused to
recognise Andry Rajoelina as Madagascar's new
president after the army swept
him to power last week, and threatened to
impose sanctions on his
government.
SADC's executive secretary Tomaz
Salamao was sent to the vast island nation
this weekend to see what action
can be taken to restore constitutional
order.
South African foreign
ministry spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa told the SAPA news
agency that the summit
would consider sanctions against Rajoelina and the
people who helped bring
him topple president Marc Ravalomanana.
The leaders will also consider
proposals to help Zimbabwe's economic
recovery, after the new unity
government asked its neighbours for two
billion dollars (1.5 billion euros)
in loans and aid.
Zimbabwe's long-time President Robert Mugabe and the
new Finance Minister
Tendai Biti last week laid out an economic recovery
plan that will require a
total of five billion dollars in aid.
An
International Monetary Fund team is also due to wrap up a two-week
mission
to Zimbabwe on Monday, as the unity government seeks to return to
the global
lenders' good books after years of estrangement.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Sunday, 22 March
2009
BULAWAYO -- Security forces deployed at the Chiadzwa diamond
fields
are illegally mine the diamonds for sale on the black market and are
resisting attempts to transfer from the fields, according Mines Minister
Obert Mpofu.
Speaking a passout parade for a small group of police
recruits last
Thursday at Ntabazinduna police training centre, said
soldiers, police and
CIO agents were resisting transfer from the Chiadzwa
diamond fields in
Manicaland province.
"Most security forces
members deployed at Chiadzwa are now
refusing to be transferred
from the diamond fields some have even
threatened to take my
ministry to court. The reason why they don't
want to leave the
place is because there are involved in
corrupt activities.
There are looting diamonds which there are selling
to foreigners from
South Africa and Nigeria," said Mpofu.
Mpofu called the Police
Commissioner General Augustine Chirurgic
who was present at the
function to send a team of senior officers to
investigate the issue as
a matter of urgency.
In his speech, Chihuri said he was
disappointed by the
number of police recruits who were running
away from the six-month
police-training course before its
completion.
Zimbabwe is said to have billions of dollars worth of
diamonds to
illegal dealers and miners who flocked Chiadzwa immediately
after precious
stone was discovered there.
http://www.radiovop.com
HARARE, March 22 2009 -
Zimbabwe Prison Services Chief, Paradzai
Zimondi, on Friday convened a
meeting with all Officers-In-Charge and
Commanding Officers as well as other
senior officers at the Harare Central
Prison complex, and instructed them to
fully support the inclusive
government, RadioVOP has
established.
One of the Commanding Officers who attended the
meeting said Zimondi
told them to stop victimising junior officers forthwith
as the inclusive
government was the only way forward.
"The
commissioner told us that we should forget what happened in June
2008
because it was done for political reasons adding that we should inform
our
subordinates that the inclusive government is the only way of
reconstructing
the rundown nation and the ZPS," said a Commanding Officer
who declined to
be named.
He said the commissioner noted with concern the
continuous
victimization of junior officers within the organization and
reminded the
senior officers that the time for such behaviour was over and
that his anti
Tsvangirai statements uttered last year were no longer
valid.
"He also told us that the inclusive government is a
reality and
victimization should stop as it compromises development as
stated in the
GPA," added the Commanding Officer.
Zimondi
is on record as having said he would retire if Movement for
Democratic
Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the presidential election in
last year's
March harmonized election.
"I would rather retire and go
farming if Tsvangirai is elected
President because I would have difficulty
saluting a person who did not go
to war," Zimondi was quoted as having said
last year while addressing Prison
Officers in Harare.
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=13731
March 21, 2009
By Raymond
Maingire
HARARE - Award winning novelist and poet, Julius Chingono (63)
was seized
and briefly detained by police Saturday noon soon after reciting
a poem
which police alleged was too offensive.
The incident, which
happened in front of a crowd of about 200 people,
occurred just by the
entrance of a police base along Harare's First Street
during a ceremony
called to mark World Poetry Day, observed every March 21.
The event was
organized by the Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights in
collaboration with the
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe
Chapter, both prominent
campaigners for ordinary citizens' rights and media
freedom.
Chingono's unpublished poem, "My uniform", is about a police
officer who
dons his uniform each time he feels he needs to gain advantage
over civilian
members of society elbowing each other to buy scarce
goods.
"When the bread bin is empty," Chingono said to cheers from the
crowd, "I
put on my police officer's uniform, medals dangling down my chest,
to the
rowdy bread queue to maintain order, to buy bread without a
hassle.
Scenes of uniformed police officers scrambling to buy sugar,
mealie meal,
cooking oil, bread, among other scarce commodities had become
common in
Zimbabwe in recent months when basic commodities had completely
disappeared
from the shelves.
Groups of police officers and soldiers
jumped meandering queues to hoard the
goods which were usually pegged at
prices far below those charged on the
black market.
Chingono
continued, "When the maize meal is low, I put on my uniform, my
army
officer's uniform with a sergeants' gold stars pinned on my shoulders
to
quickstep to the war line mealie meal queue, to buy the mealie meal
without
joining the queue.
"When the family says sugar is spent, I wear my
uniform, my constabulary
tunic, to march to the anxiety charged queue to
suppress all dissent when I
jump the queue."
The poem also talks of
an army chef who drives to a local service station on
a private car to buy
fuel ahead of other desperate motorists.
But hardly had the elated crowd
finished congratulating the poet for his
candid poetry than some police
details manning the police base summoned him
into the wooden structure to
quiz him on the poem.
http://www.nehandaradio.com
22 March 2009
By
Makusha Mugabe
In an incredible display of double standards, the African
Union (AU) has
suspended Madagascar from membership following the
declaration of opposition
leader Andry Rajoelina as president in what has
been termed a civilian and
military coup.
Burkina Faso's Ambassador
Bruno Nongoma Zidouemba, current chairman of the
AU's peace and security
council, said the military takeover and handing of
power to Rajoelina was a
coup and announced the suspension of Madagascar.
But when Robert Mugabe
bludgeoned his opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai, out of
the Presidential race, in
what was just as much a military coup as soldiers
ousting an elected leader
and handing the reigns of power to a civilian, the
AU said Mugabe should go
and negotiate with the opposition.
And even when Mugabe continued
violating agreements made in the
negotiations, the AU remained mum and
forced the opposition to accept an
agreement that was watered down at every
stage on Mugabe's demands.
The United States is moving to suspend all
non-humanitarian assistance to
Madagascar following the SADC security
troika's recommendations that SADC
and the international community should
impose sanctions on Madagascar.
The new leader's Prime Minister, Roindefo
Monja, says he is going to plead
his case before the AU and the
international community, that the people of
Madagascar demanded liberty and
the military rallied to the popular
movement, but it did not seize power,
according to Reuters.
"We are confident the international community will
understand," he said.
Norway has frozen aid and France has called for quick
elections.
But in Zimbabwe, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
which was voted
for, and won, on a platform of democracy, has been forced
into begging the
international community to lift sanctions against Mugabe
and his cronies,
even while they still continue to violate human rights and
fail to reverse
the very policies that have ruined the country's
economy.
The international humanitarian community is now caught between
exacerbating
the suffering of Zimbabweans by maintaining sanctions or
providing the
necessary aid in order to relieve the suffering - even while
there is no
clear policy which will allow the economy to start producing
again.
The main issues for the international community are the land,
which must be
used productively and, which the MDC has always said should be
considered a
finite economic resource, and commercial property rights which
the Mugabe
government has been violating as it pleases.
Andry
Rajoelina was declared president of the Indian Ocean island on Tuesday
after
weeks of political unrest that have killed at least 135 people,
devastated
the economy and worried foreign investors.
Makusha Mugabe is the editor
of Change Zimbabwe.com.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Sunday, 22 March 2009
That the 2009
budget statement and the Short-Term Emergency Recovery
Progamme (STERP)
presented to Zimbabweans by the new unity government over
the past week are
good documents containing reasonable proposals to fix our
bleeding nation is
not in doubt.
But then, the reason why Zimbabwe is in this sorry state
was never a
lack of good ideas or policy blueprints - these we have always
had aplenty!
It is a path we have walked before. We have had the
Transitional
National Development Plan (1986-1990), the IMF-inspired
Economic Structural
Adjustment Programme (1991-1996), the Zimbabwe Programme
for Economic and
Social Transformation and others too many to list
here.
All were good blueprints but achieved zilch! And the lesson for
President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Finance Minister
Tendai Biti and all in government is that rhetoric - whether in the form of
an economic blueprint or in any other guise - cannot be a substitute for
genuine reform and performance.
For that is what these blueprints
ultimately become - mere rhetoric -
if the government undertakes, as it
does in the creatively named STERP, to
uphold the rule of law and yet
productive farmers are being forced off the
land by hooligans acting in the
name of none other than the President's
party, Zanu (PF).
Those we
seek to impress with our colourful rhetoric need look no
further than a
village in Buhera where dozens of huts were burnt down in
political violence
two weeks ago in order for them to realize that fear and
terror still stalk
our land.
The blight of the old government was its insatiable appetite
to
(mis)spend money it did not have which plunged Zimbabwe into debt and
left
the economy crippled by huge budget deficits.
But it sounds
hollow when Finance Minister Biti proclaims a new era of
living within our
means. The first step if ZANU PF and the MDC formations
were serious about
fiscal prudence and genuine reform would be to prune that
huge bureaucracy
they have imposed on us in the name of an all-inclusive
government in order
to cut costs.
But, of course, we all know that it is easier to posture
about
financial discipline than to do the simple thing and send the old boys
and
girls back home simply because they have no real work to do at the
government offices.
The ruse that this was about the need to carry
all parties in a
delicate political compromise is just what it is - a ruse
to justify
misusing our money and diverting cash from donors to paying
salaries for the
ministers and their hangers-on at the expense of the
ordinary man and woman.
Yet this government - the first in long a time
to enjoy the good will
of most Zimbabweans -- could achieve so much if only
it could break off
with habits of the past and walk the talk on democratic
reform, rule of law
and fiscal prudence.
The Vigil was not surprised that Mugabe’s appeal for a little help from his ‘friends’ has fallen on deaf ears. China, North Korea, Iran etc have, in effect, joined the AU and SADC in imposing ‘illegal sanctions’ (illegal sanctions being defined by Mugabe as not giving him what he demands).
Vigil supporters turned out in great numbers in the spring sunshine. They expressed resignation at the hypocrisy of ‘Crisis, what crisis?’ South Africa. Suddenly Finance Minister Manuel is pleading poverty when the dysfunctional coalition government imposed by South Africa begs for start-up help. ‘Ask the donors’ he says, after having always insisted that these countries must keep their noses out of Africa.
The Vigil noted that Manuel went on to bleat ‘We need to get farmers to produce . . .’ Well the Vigil wishes to remind him that SADC has an obligation to ensure the rule of law in Zimbabwe. Isn’t this what they guaranteed? Only then can there be a future for the coalition government it has promoted.
Vigil team member Fungayi Mabhunu spoke about conditions in Zimbabwe during a visit to the Dolphin School in Battersea, south London, on Friday at the invitation of teacher Steve Garvey. We are being sent pictures later in the week which will be posted on our Flickr web page. Steve Garvey reports as follows:
33 children from Year 3 and 4 at Dolphin School in Battersea had the privilege of learning more about the plight of our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe last Friday. They were able to ask questions and find out for themselves at first hand the suffering millions of people have to go through on a daily basis. This was due to a personal visit to the school by Fungayi from the Zimbabwe Vigil.
The children had researched the country for the last few months and were up to date with events, but were not expecting to hear such harrowing stories. They were told how in one school twenty children had to share just two pens. They were amazed to hear that some children only got to school for eighteen days last year. Many were dismayed to hear that exam papers from two years ago had still to be marked. Fungayi shared his own personal story with them and ensured an accurate picture was established. What amazed them most of all was the fact that one pound could help feed one family for up to thirty days. One boy offered the small amount of money he had in his pocket to his class teacher there and then.
The Year 4s have decided to take part in a sponsored event next month with all the proceeds going directly to one or two schools in Zimbabwe who desperately need it. This would allow them to buy pens and books, resources which British children take for granted. The Year 4 teacher Mr Garvey has also decided to raise money by running the London Marathon next month on behalf of the Zimbabwe Vigil (more details later). The event takes place on Sunday 26 April, so if you would like to sponsor him, please contact us.
Fungayi was a great communicator and extremely informed. The children went away clearly moved by what they had heard and ready to do their part to help ease the suffering of the millions of Zimbabweans facing an uncertain future.”
An indication of the scale of the Zimbabwean diaspora came at a reunion lunch in London today of Chisipite old girls born in the 1940s, attended by Vigil Co-ordinator, Rose Benton. About 30 people gathered from around the UK and one from the south of France. Several joined us at the Vigil afterwards.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/
FOR THE RECORD: 337 signed the register.
FOR YOUR DIARY:
· Central London Zimbabwe Forum. Monday 23rd March at 7.30 pm. Venue: Bell and Compass, 9-11 Villiers Street, London, WC2N 6NA, next to Charing Cross Station at the corner of Villiers Street and John Adam Street.
· Gravesend ROHR launch meeting. Saturday 28th March from 1.30 – 5.30 pm. Venue: Gravesend Veterans Club, 19 Clarence Place, Gravesend DA12 1LB. Contact: Robson Makotsa 07927 900 558, David Masvodza 07765 645 418, Paul Makuchete 07967 837 862 or P Mapfumo 07915 962 323 / 07932 216 070.
· ROHR Wolverhamton general meeting. Saturday 28th March from 1 – 4 pm. Venue 186 Chervil Rise, Heath Town, Wolverhampton WV10 0HZ. Contact: Colleen Maredza 07733 394 648 Veronica Chakeredza 07853 752 085 and Ivy Takawira 07796 234 060.
· Zimbabwe Association’s Women’s Weekly Drop-in Centre. Fridays 10.30 am – 4 pm. Venue: The Fire Station Community and ICT Centre, 84 Mayton Street, London N7 6QT, Tel: 020 7607 9764. Nearest underground: Finsbury Park. For more information contact the Zimbabwe Association 020 7549 0355 (open Tuesdays and Thursdays).
Vigil Co-ordinators
The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights by the current regime in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.
http://www.zimtelegraph.com
By EDDIE CROSS
Published: Sunday,
March 22, 2009
I have often said that the only country in the world that
has the power, and
therefore the responsibility, to get Zimbabwe out of the
crisis it is in, is
South Africa.
The reasons are geopolitical and
easily demonstrated. It is the failure of
South Africa to exercise that
responsibility with the effective use of power
that has resulted in this
country becoming what it is - a failed State.
If we go back to the start of
the real collapse in 2000, South African
leadership knew full well what the
government was doing in Zimbabwe and its
implications.
This was
clearly revealed in the Mbeki memorandum of 2002 which argued that
Zanu
should stop the farm invasions and human rights abuse, not because it
was
the right thing to do, but because these actions might lead to the
collapse
of the economy, international isolation and the loss of power by
the "Party
of the Revolution", Zanu PF.
For eight years, South Africa used its
regional and international influence,
not to protect the rights of the
Zimbabwe people or to foster the interests
of the country and the region as
a whole, but to prevent the MDC coming to
power. What Mbeki called "negating
the Chiluba factor".
This policy was perpetuated right through to the end
of 2008 and was
instrumental in not only denying the MDC its legitimate
claim to power after
the March elections, but to 15 months of tortuous
negotiations, facilitated
by South Africa on a totally partisan basis and
resulting finally in forcing
MDC into a shotgun marriage with Zanu PF and
the Mutambara group.
These negotiations were characterised throughout by
a stance that pitted MDC
against all three groups at the talks - South
Africa, Zanu and the Mutambara
Group.
Having forced the consummation
of the marriage, the South Africans proposed
that both the AU and the SADC,
even though neither organ has any leverage
inside Zimbabwe, would
"guarantee" the deal.
South Africa is also unique in its knowledge of the
Zimbabweans situation.
After early failures in intelligence, the South
Africans have built an
intelligence network in Zimbabwe that is second to
none.
They have infiltrated the CIO and now monitor every move and every
initiative by the various parties involved.
They know what the real
results of successive elections have been, they know
the relative strengths
of the MDC and Zanu PF, and they know what Zanu is
doing to thwart the
efforts of the transitional government. Ignorance is no
excuse.
So
here we are, almost exactly one month into the SADC/SA brokered deal.
Still
no movement on any of the issues accepted at the last SADC summit as
being
matters to be sorted out in order for the new government to make
progress.
Still no movement on the Governors, no movement on the
question of Permanent
Secretaries, no movement on the recall of Ambassadors
and new appointments.
Still no movement on the positions of Attorney General
or the Reserve Bank
Governor.
The farm invasions have actually
intensified and spread to urban areas where
smallholdings are being taken
over by force. The use of the legal system to
intimidate and cripple the MDC
and Civil Society has continued - we still
have eleven abductees missing and
several still in Prison on trumped up
charges.
No progress on the
absurd allegations by the former regime that Botswana was
engaged in
training military insurgents even though these allegations are
directly
linked to the treason charges against MDC leadership in the new
government.
Now to crown it all, the region is withholding critically
needed economic
assistance to the new government. In recognition of the
reality that only
the region can assist us with our essential financial
needs at short notice,
the new government lost no time in defining and
presenting its needs to the
South African government.
All they got in
return was sympathy and the organisation of a larger group
under the SADC to
consider the requested package. Still no visible progress.
Just how
critical the situation is, was clearly revealed last week when
Tendai Biti,
the new Finance Minister introduced a revised budget.
He stated that in
the first two months of the year, total revenue to the
State had amounted to
US$36 million.
Simply to meet essential basic needs and pay much reduced
salaries to State
employees will cost about US$100 million a month, so we
were able to meet a
mere 20 per cent of this from our own
resources.
Revenues are unlikely to recover for at least six months and
we desperately
needed the US$500 million we requested for budget support
until our own
revenues were able to take up the slack.
South Africa
not only denied us any sort of support, but also was
instrumental in
blocking any aid from any other SADC States.
A feeble plea to the
so-called "rich" nations for assistance to the new
government was the best
they could muster.
Even in respect to the appeal for a US$1,5 billion
line of credit on
commercial terms for private sector funding has not
materialized though this
would be petty cash to South Africa let alone the
SADC States as a whole.
What value is the so called "guarantee" given by
the SADC States if they
cannot enforce compliance with the deal negotiated
and signed and cannot
provide even the minimum financial support
requested?
For our part, I think the Zimbabwean people have been superb
and disciplined
in the way they have handled themselves over the past
decade.
In spite of all the provocation they have never turned to
violence, even
when it would have been totally justified.
In February
the Civil Service (236 000 people) went back to work after the
payment of a
paltry US$100 a month allowance to each employee.
In March the State was
unable to improve on this because the resources were
simply not
available.
I think the reaction of teachers, doctors and nurses and all
the others, has
been just incredible.
Their reward from their brother
States in the region has been to send them
away empty handed, to return to
their shattered homes where there is no food
or other essentials.
Not
only to send them away empty handed, but also to turn a blind eye to the
continuing human rights abuse, violations of the State controlled media and
the flagrant violation of private assets.
Even this past weekend
South Africa was unable to get their Zimbabwean
counterparts to sign up to
an investment protection agreement that has been
pending for
years.
It is a mystery to me as to why regional leaders behave in this
way. We can
excuse ignorance but there is none, we can even excuse poverty,
but the
resources to help would only make a small impact on their collective
resources.
We might even excuse them if they themselves were living
under tyrannies and
were denied the basic freedoms that we have been denied,
but they actually
claim to be democratic States with a reputation for
freedom and security.
So what is their excuse? I am afraid they have
none. For this I think they
fully deserve the opprobrium that their inaction
and failure is bringing
upon them from a watching world.
By
Robert Ndlovu - San Jose - USA.
March 20, 2009.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is an umbrella term that includes all technologies for the manipulation and communication of information.
Recently the Minister of ICT, Hon Nelson Chamisa announced a need for a national website, in order to put Zimbabwe back on the global map. He was speaking to ICT stake holders in Harare recently. It was an important stance by the Hon Minister in so far as top level awareness that something needs to be done to bridge the digital divide in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe already has thousands of websites that are either hosted locally in Zimbabwe or outside the country. So it’s not so much about the need of a national website per se but rather a broader surgical approach to the ICT challenges that we face.
The digital divide or gap is set to widen even further if we don’t take it upon ourselves to come up with specific solutions for our specific challenges.
Problem resolution at this level, calls for a sober, firm and accurate understanding the variance between what is on the ground and what needs to be achieved. Any half baked attempts to address the digital divide or gap will not only waste resources and opportunities but literally take the nation a few decades backwards in terms of development.
A sound ICT policy impacts all sectors of the country from the economy through health right up to mining and farming.
In this article I will offer a bird’s eye view of key issues that impact and affect digitalization efforts. Hopefully this will help the ICT leadership clarify, categorize and prioritize delivery mechanisms.
Zimbabwe just like most African countries basically faces a number of hurdles in order to roll out effective computing technologies to the general population. Rollout issues and challenges do include but not limited to;
- cost of computers and equipment
-inadequate access technologies (data & voice)
-inadequate electricity
-poor national & international bandwidth
-regulation and licensing
- Censorship and control
-brain drain & lack skilled manpower & I.T. certifications
-poorly designed and optimized websites
-egov
In this article I address some key elements that affect internet penetration and telephone usage. You will note that the main factors that affect telephony also affect data communications. ICT has challenges in both the data and voice arenas. When we talk about bridging the digital divide we seek to reduce or eliminate entry barriers that the people face in both data and voice. A number of terms will be used loosely in both areas.
It is important however, for the ICT ministry to be able to dissect and separate common issues and independent issues that affect data and voice. This approach is necessary so that the issues are addressed at a root cause level. We seek to deal with the root problem like inadequate infrastructure manifested symptomatically as congestion or slow connections. Voice and data networks are fast converging and this calls for a smart unified communications approach whose success hinges on reliable, fast and robust network infrastructure.
Internet Access
In Zimbabwe just like most African countries most people who access the internet do so via Cyber cafes, colleges, varsities, work place an some at home. The limiting factors are basically cost and unavailability. Most urban dwellers either can’t afford it or the ISPs serving them are out of capacity as discussed further below. There are people who own farms who could easily afford it, but can not do so from where they are because there is no network coverage of one form or the other in their area.
As a result internet penetration is very low due to a number of issues. One of ICT’s core tasks is to help present operators unclog their stuffed networks and also adopting the concept of cyber cafes for many communities whose chance of using a computer or accessing the internet are next to none.
Donating computers to schools is great. More could be done in the form of setting up computer centers at libraries, district offices, ALL colleges using the cyber café approach. This has the advantage of also spinning some business to the struggling ISPs.
Hopes are hinged on the 3G data access. All I can say for now is that we hope Econet will not make it an elite service for the business brass. Last year when I was in J’oburg I was pretty impressed about how easy it is to connect to the internet MTN’s 3G using a USB dongle with a 3G capable SIM card. Because right now in Zimbabwe before we even have 3G, is it possible to walk to a distribution shop and buy a SIM card ?
Telephone Access
Teledensity is a metric that is used to broadly estimate the number telephone lines per 100 individuls. Presently Zimbabwe has a teledensity of about 3 .This means that there are about 3 telephone lines per 100 people. This figure heavily depends on the accuracy of the actual number of telephone lines divided by the total population.
Now this is a very tricky estimation as millions of Zimbabweans have left the country while mobile operators have availed more lines. The teledensity metric has been used as an indicator of economic development or governance.
Current voice providers include Telone , NetOne , Econet , Telecel. Now wireless usage in Zimbabwe has indeed enabled many people a means of communication. Wireless growth rate is highest in Africa because cellular phones offer any one within coverage range an equal opportunity to communicate. At this stage Zimbabwe has serious complications that basically point to a collapsed economy. Cellular operators have managed just to stay afloat in a very un-business like environment. This has made it impossible for the operators to increase both capacity and coverage at a time when spares and maintenance were made in hard currency whilst end users were paying in a currency that long lost its value.
Stabilization of the economy should allow cellular companies to increase their coverage to more areas.
Cost of computers, equipment and
software
Computer and internet penetration is very low in Zimbabwe due to the cost of owning a PC or MAC and the cost of having an internet connection .What is needed in this area is for the stake holders to identify equipment manufactures that can supply Zimbabwean market PCs in bulk and at competitive rates. Secondly in most developed nations people throw away their PCs just to get a new one. Most of these PCs are recyclable easily and the Ministry can setup collection centers in the US and UK to pick these PCs – clean them up and store them in a container before shipping them to Zimbabwe. This is already being done in Kenya and Ghana.
Thirdly the ministry should encourage local companies to team up with PC manufactures and open up assembly plants in Zimbabwe. This should be one of ICT’s long term plan and has bankable off shoot benefits like job creation , local availability of PCs , generation of forex through exports and generation of revenue for the state via the taxman. The more people have access to PCs whether publicly via schools , libraries or internet cafes the better. One way of doing this is availing mobile digital libraries. Take an old ZUPCO bus. Refurbish it , install like 30 computers in the bus and pull a diesel powered generator at the back. These mobile libraries are used in Rwanda to visit remote areas with no PC access.
Windows based software is generally pricy because of licensing fees. The ICT ministry must encourage and even fund open source software initiatives in Zimbabwe. This literally means that refurbished computers that are shipped into Zimbabwe can run on free BUT extremely loaded Linux based like uBuntu.Ubuntu is a community developed operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. uBuntu comes loaded with thousands of FREE open software applications like word processing , spreadsheets , presentations , databases , web servers , email servers , fax servers , call centers , phone billing , internet café billing , hotel reservation , project management , programming tools , educational and scientific software and many more.
Cost of software as a stumbling block in ICT development can not be used as an excuse.
Electricity
All ICT gadgets use electricity to function. Inadequate power generation and unreliable transmission and distribution capacity has a direct impact on ICT development strategies. This means that there can be no meaningful digital revolution if there is no electricity full stop. This calls for an elevated sense of urgency to resuscitate and improve power generation, transmission and distribution capacity. It is too obvious that Zimbabwe has to look explore and improve the present forms of power generation methods that may include but NOT limited to water , solar , wind , biogas and even nuclear energy.
Mail servers , web servers , routers , switches , base stations etc all need electricity to operate. So before we even worry about creation of a national website , it is necessary that we have adequate electricity to power the servers that will serve the web pages !
If people can not access the website because the hosting ISP has experienced a power outage, then our problems are a lot wider and complex to be solved by having a national website.
Now erratic power supplies has made life horrible for ALL telcos or ISPs as they are forced to install alternative power sources mainly diesel powered generators. This has pushed operation costs for all companies to go up. Not with standing that the diesel in question was at one stage scarce and only available via the black market. This is one of the many problems that have pushed the price of the service as soon as use of forex was officially approved.
Access technologies
Lack or unavailability of telecommunications infrastructure makes it difficult for remote areas to access e-services like the internet or even basic email. Some farmers can afford PCs but how are they can not access the internet because either the telephone infrastructure is inexistent, broken down or unreliable in their areas. This points back directly to telco providers ComeOne ,Telone, Econet, NetOne, Telecel, Transmedia, Powertel, Africom, Ecoweb, ZOL, Mweb and Telecontract just to mention the main players. It is very tough for these fellows to maintain their network infrastructure because of overheads like electricity for plants and base stations.
That aside , there is need for Zimbabwe to pursue more rigorous wireless last mile connection technologies like Wi-Max , Wi-Fi , 3G , CDMA etc. Already Powertel and Telone are involved in CDMA rollouts in and around Harare. The access technologies are further discusses under sub heading Broadband below.
National & International
Bandwidth
Not withstanding the limited access technologies available by remote stations to access e-resources , there is the question of available national and international bandwidth.
Your connection speed to you ISP might be 56k but the speed with which you access local and international websites will solely depend on the available capacity on the network you are connecting to. It means that to pull a page from Harare ISP will depend on the traffic congestion between your access point to the web server which heavily relies on the number of connections made to that site. Failure to connect to you ISP might be caused by total capacity of the access network to handle your call. This is a national bandwidth issue. Zimbabwe has limited access points and this literally means a lot of people are competing to gain access to a thin pipe. I am sure you know how frustrating it is to try and drive your new BMW in a very congested road with pot holes!
To access emails from the web you will send a request via your ISP who will in turn forward your request to your email hosting service. Now the issue of contentions comes into the picture again with internationally hosted sites. You have to compete with other users from your ISP and other ISPs to access websites via the international gateway that maybe a satellite dish in Mazowe! So international access bottleneck add to the other national bandwidth whores caused by few POPs (point of presence).
What is needed then is an increase in access points and using thicker bandwidth pipes between these POPs. Between main centers Zimbabwe uses fibre optics as the back bone. Also satellite alone can not meet Zimbabwe bandwidth needs.
ICT must look into ways of connecting via fibre to the undersea cable in the Indian Ocean. The cables at the sea connect to the rest of the world at lightning speed. Why fibre? Fibre has a higher carrying capacity. A fair comparison between using copper wires and fibre would be comparing a wheel barrow to a “gonyeti” to carry 100 tons of sand.
In a nutshell ICT needs to do some audit of both the national and international bandwidth info. This audit will point out major bottlenecks that choke Internet usage in Zimbabwe. The solution after the audit should include amongst other things the following fibre network links:
- Harare to Mutare to provide a link the Indian Ocean under sea cables in Beira.I am reliably informed that AfriCom is doing this project already.
- Bulawayo to Beitbridge to provide high speed link to SA fibre network. South Africa is Zimbabwe’s largest trading partner
Having multiple gateways will assure and ensure that Zimbabwe does not experience total black out associated with network failure. Investing in fibre optics today is not an option but a must/
Broadband Access
To address the slow speed and low bandwidth challenges that Zimbabwe faces , all efforts MUST point into the availing of broadband access.
The term broadband commonly refers to high-speed Internet access. Technically this refers to data transmission rates of at least 200 kilobits per second. When you connect to your ISP you have to values that you deal with , download speed (down stream) and upload speed (up stream).As the names suggest , down streams refers to the data transfer rate when you are pulling resources from the internet to you PC like downloading email, downloading software , listening to music or watching a video from Youtube.
Up stream refers to the data transfer rates when you are pushing or publishing content from you PC to the Internet. Examples here including sending email , posting your profile to Facebook and publishing your website.
Pull and push. In general most internet users pull that push to the internet and as a result the rates of downstream rates are higher than up stream rates.
Broadband allows a higher data transfer rates than dial up rates .An interesting comparison would be that of trying to empty a 200L drum full of water using a hosepipe or a drinking straw!
Types of broadband
technologies
The term broadband describes the data transfer rates but does not describe the under lying technology (physical and data link layer) used to achieve high data transfer rates. The main broadband technologies are briefly summarized below.
- DSL (Digital Subscriber Line ) is a wireline transmission technology that transmits data faster over traditional copper telephone lines already installed to homes and businesses.
- Coaxial cable make use of cable modem service enables cable operators to provide broadband using the same coaxial cables that provide cable TV
- Fibre optic technology converts electrical signals carrying data to light and sends the light through transparent glass fibres about the diameter of a human hair.
- Wi-Max , Worldwide Inter-operability for Microwave Access, is a telecommunications technology that provides wireless transmission of data using a variety of transmission modes, from point-to-multipoint links to portable and fully mobile internet access. The technology provides up to 72 Mbit/s symmetric broadband speeds without the need for cables. This is the way to go especially for metropolitans. The technology is based on the IEEE 802.16 standard (also called Broadband Wireless Access).
- 3G networks are wide-area cellular telephone networks that evolved to incorporate high-speed Internet access. Theoretically data rates approach 14.4 Mbps down stream and 5.8Mbps up stream. Econet already has the 3G license in Zimbabwe and we await its delivery. The other 3G license was granted to Powertel using CDMA .This service is only limited to Harare/
- CDMA – Wireless land lines using Wireless Local Loop 450 MHz system used as last mile connection by Telone in the wake of copper cable thefts and shortage. Only available in Harare , Chitungwiza & Ruwa.
- Satellite broadband is another form of wireless broadband, also useful for serving remote or sparsely populated areas .This technology basically uses satellite dishes pointed to the sky to connect to a geo-stationery satellite orbiting above the earth.
- Broadband over Powerline (BPL) is the delivery of broadband over the existing low and medium voltage electric power distribution network.
Broadband is always on.Does not block phone lines and no need to reconnect to network after logging off.
Summarily connection bottlenecks exist at an access level , national bandwidth level before you even look at the international portion of the game. What we need is a bottom up approach and not top to bottom approach.
So after rolling broadband access architecture, the national network connecting to the international network MUST not act as a bottle neck.
A typical scenario in most African countries is that you can use Wi-Fi to connect your laptop to your access point at 54 Mbps ! WOW that’s a lot ! Nope.If the connection from your ISP to the internet is 56kbps then your broadband connection speed to your access point is NULL & VOID.
Regulation
/Monopoly/Licensing
Most African governments really put a tight lid when it comes to regulation of telecommunications and media. That alone is a major obstacle in reducing the digital divide. For some strange reason or another most African governments via the regulatory bodies tend to become an obstacle to innovation and development. Part of the fear is unfounded in that some authorities fear that opening up the telecommunications will either threaten government owned establishments or also fear of not being able to control information flow.
Of course this is insane. Only those who do evils stuff should be worried about a liberal telecommunications environment. Naturally national security is a top priority for the regulation body. I must mention of that of late POTRAZ has indeed tried to catch up with reality as I am aware that a few more companies have been granted different licenses to operate different technologies in data, voice and wireless arenas like Econet doing 3G and AfriCom getting engaged in VoIP.
Considering that some of the operators who have monopolies have failed to meet their service obligations to provide reliable and affordable communications, ICT ministry should explore ways of allowing smart partnerships between ISPs with local authorities/communities to provide telco service for their areas. For instance if the wireless company can not afford to put a base station in my home area Jambezi or Lower Gweru , smaller operators must be allowed to run and own base station in an area and share the profit with the back bone operator. What I mean is at a district center, small operators will install a base station, a data link and a power generator if need be. Then connect to the big operators switch via Wi-Max or microwave. These small operators can’t afford to do a national rollout so they can manage to setup their own base stations for their respective areas and then connect to the main carrier. How the revenue from that base station is shared can then be worked out. These are the ideas that ICT should be researching and establishing their viability potential.
Telone, Powertel and Transmedia
These 3 companies enjoy unmatched monopolies based on their origins or parenting company namely PTC , Zesa and ZBC. These 3 companies have a combined capacity to reach all corners of Zimbabwe by virtue of their infrastructural inheritance for both data and voice.
The ICT ministry must carry out very thorough performance audits these seasonal failures. It is an open secret that their failure is mainly due to political meddling and interference which makes them operate more like social clubs than companies.
Despite their failure for years to provide, adequate telephone services, electricity, radio and TV services these companies have moved into the Internet market with, remarkable speed.
It is clear why NRZ has not conceived a Telco business unit based on their own data network for the rail system? Well Transtel would be a great idea but likely to be plagued by the same virus that affects its other 3 cousins.
Licensing and external
investment.
The issue of regulation will not be complete if no mention is made of the prohibitive nature of the licensing fees in the range of several million US dollars. What makes it even more complicated is that should one wish to partner with a foreign investor, the imposition of fixed percentages for local ownership stake makes this really look like a circus. Which sane investor is interested in investing in an environment where he /she are expected to invest more dollars but get the minority share? 51 % local sounds really attractive and nationally correct since Indigenization is the core agenda of empowering locals.
That however does not mean replacing common sense with hollow pride which has so far worked negatively against Zimbabwe.
Pride alone has never fed any nation.
802.11 – Wi-Fi
It appears that the ruling in the 90s to ban or restrict use ISM frequencies 2.4 GHz and 5Hgz was not meant to protect scientific equipment used in hospitals from interference but a strategic move to monopolize the bandwidth to Transmedia. It is the national broadcaster of television, radio and Internet access services in Zimbabwe on the afore mentioned frequencies. So one wonders what suddenly happened to hospital equipment protection.
Transmedia owns and operates all terrestrial broadcast infrastructures and as a new strategic business unit of ZBC it bridged VHF and IP so as to tap into wireless access.
Because of monopoly of this frequency band, wireless broadband has not grown as expected. I doubt if Transmedia has more than 800 customers with their tower located at Pockets Hill with no line of sight complication?
The ICT ministry together with POTRAZ must revisit the maximum power levels for Access Points to allow other players to beam data and voice over using 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (Wi-Fi). This will go a long way in enabling ISPs to connect more people using wireless broadband. Right now ISPs are trapped between a rock and a hard place as their last mile connection solution is limited to mainly to twisted copper wires since both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz are locked down to one provider Transmedia.
Voice over Internet Protocol
(VoIP)
Voice over IP is still a grey area in Zimbabwe. Obviously its success depends on reliable network infrastructure. With 3G on its way, POTRAZ should allow people to connect over IP and make calls. Also a smart combination of wi-max and wi-fi can bring voice to many people that presently have NO hope of getting a Telone line via copper or wireless CDMA.
Businesses and organizations might be forced to install a satellite dishes and then use their IP connectivity for both data and voice and by pass the national operators because they can’t get service from them!
Besides the obvious use of VoIP for voice , other spin offs can be realized in Zimbabwe like the deployment of call centers .This allows local companies to generate employment for the local community , generate scarce forex and revenue for the state in taxes. I used to think that this was common sense but it appears common sense is not so common. Presently most favored call center destination for call centers are India, Malasyia, Philiphines and of late Kenya and South Africa – thanks to their open VoIP policy.
VoIP opens so many avenues of communication between end users. For instance through use of open source PBX like Freeswitch, one can easily provide free voicemail mail service. This is how it works. A Linux server running a PBX is a capability of creating infinite user extensions. So a particular user can sign up and be assigned an extension say 600244 and a PIN code – 9561.Now this user will have to call an access number say 011 800 600 to check and or send voicemails. If he does NOT have a personal phone this user can still use any phone just to retrieve his messages from the system. So in short this person can advertise whatever business he is in and then specify his details as “Please call me on 011 800 600 ext 600244”. Callers will be greeted by an interactive voice response system that will ask them if they want (1) to check messages or (2) to send a message to another user.
Brain Drain & Skilled
Manpower
The effect of brain drain on the digital revolution is obvious. As the country continues to lose more and more skilled and trained personnel, it becomes difficult for the nation to move forward in an attempt to turn around the economy. This applies to all sectors of the economy and not just ICT. The GNU should be creative enough and try and lure skilled personnel back by coming up with a well thought out “come back home schemes”. I am talking about highly trained professionals from all walks of life. Trust me there thousands of Zimbabweans inside & outside the country prepared to help rebuild the country.
The question of patriotism comes up. “Ask what you can do for Zimbabwe and not what Zimbabwe can do for you?
That’s fair enough.
Trust me most skilled professionals would not mind an incentive in the form of some small piece of land somewhere in Mvurwi or Insiza. If we expect to lure patriotic professionals to leave their well paying jobs at Cisco or Microsoft or BT and join the ICT in Zimbabwe. Patriotism is a two headed beast.
ICT training &
Certification
ICT training and development has not been spared the economic wrath that affects the whole country. As part of a long term plan Zimbabwe ICT must look into establishing more ICT based institutes and academies as part of the digital empowerment plan. Software programming is particularly one area in which ICT must look. Writing a computer code requires very few resources other than a computer and programming knowledge of certain languages like C++ , Java , Python , Perl etc.
What is needed is that the ministry of ICT at a government level must travel to India and strike deals to have Indian programmers to come and train students at various training academies mentioned.
Software is a great product that is easily exported. This is where the Hon Minister should be setting his eyes as a long term plan. There is need to promote establishment of MORE academies that can provide ICT certifications that include but NOT limited to A + , N+ , Security + , Linux + , Cisco etc.
Web Presence, Promotion and
Optimization
Designing and placing a website on the internet is very simple and straight forward.
But what matters is whether the website has been designed properly and optimized well so that it is searchable on the internet. People use search engines to look for information, products and services. A poorly developed website will affect that website’s visibility on the internet. Most search engines like Google , Yahoo , MSN and Dogpile use various algorithms to rank websites. But key making our website visible includes search engine optimization .This involves items like :
- using certain key words in your website title and header and also depends on the
- number and quality of links on your web page
- the actual content and relevance of your web pages
- registering your website with different search engines
Linking out to other websites and have them linked back to you is useful in making your website visible on the internet.
A good website must be able to retain visitors and even encourage future visits. A good website must not only disseminate information to its visitors but must be able to call the visitors to action .Like “click here to subscribe for free reports” or “click here to place a donation “ or click here to get a call back from us” or “enter your cell phone here to receive promotional info via SMS” etc etc.This makes the website interactive and not static.
Website Standards
Zimbabweans are a very tech savvy people. You don’t need to look far. Zimbabweans based both in Zimbabwe and outside run fairly successful websites ranging from news and media through money and shipping services right up to digital telephony services. News websites dominate the number of websites ran by Zimbabweans on the internet.
Since Zimbabwe government ministries and departments already have dozens of websites that are hardly searchable on the web, the ICT ministry must come up with a minimum standard guideline for website deployment.
Different ministries and departments do run their different websites, but some minimum quality standard or benchmark MUST be created by ICT ministry .If you look at the different Zimbabwe government websites, you will see varying designs which are not up to scratch if I could be generous with my comments. What is needed is a compliance standard that is set up by ICT.
Hats off to the webmasters who have managed to setup theses websites with little or NO training and resources. What needs to be done is to come up with a government website policy that clearly sets standards of design technique, layout, interactivity, promotion and optimization.
eGovernment
In 2005 an ICT Steering committee produced a detailed 124 page eReadiness report. This report sponsored by UNDP, covered almost all aspects of e-readiness like:
- eAgriculture
- eCommerce
- eEducation
- eMining
- eHealth
- eGovernance
- eGovernment
- eManufacturing
- eTourism
Summary
The ICT Ministry must start by studying the eReadiness survey report (2005) and use it as a spring board to kick start the digital dream. The report is detailed and thorough but might need to be updated in order to keep abreast with current ICT realities on the ground.
Then the ICT Ministry must put together a team/board by pooling together highly skilled, competent and experienced individuals just as the Education Minister did. The Hon Education Minister Mr.David Coltart is a lawyer by profession and made a smart decision of putting together board of education experts to execute the technical aspects of the challenges facing Education in Zimbabwe. This approach could be used by all GNU Ministers so that the best brains, hands and hearts are pooled together to achieve a common purpose.
I must mention here that I deliberately did NOT discuss previous efforts by the government to censor, control and intercept internet and voice traffic in the spirit of the inclusive government.
Comments, corrections, questions and requests most welcome.
Ndlovu [AT]
ymail.com
+1 408 594 8064
– USA
+44 20 3355 9992
– UK
+27 11 461 3353 –
SA
{ Robert Ndlovu is an ICT consultant based in San Jose - USA}