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Ivan Zhakata-Herald Correspondent

Local authorities will share 1 000 laptops through a Government facility to bolster digital services.

The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is working with the Ministry of Information Communication Technology Postal and Courier Services to make the facility work.

 Speaking at the handover ceremony in Harare, Minister of ICT Postal and Courier Services Tatenda Mavetera said the donation was a significant step towards supporting e-government initiatives in Local Government, highlighting the importance of a whole-of-government approach and leaving no ministry behind.

The ICT Ministry recognised that the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works was a critical pillar of the smart city initiative was crucial.

“As new towns and cities emerge in Zimbabwe, embracing futuristic town planning using modern ICT gadgets is vital,” she said.

“For several reasons, futuristic town planning should incorporate technology parks and other ICT-oriented designs. These technological advancements can enhance efficiency within cities by automating processes such as waste management, transportation systems, and infrastructure maintenance.

“By leveraging technology’s potential, cities can optimise resource allocation while minimising operational costs. Integrating technology into town planning contributes to sustainability efforts. Smart buildings with energy-efficient features can reduce carbon emissions significantly.”

Minister Mavetera said smart grids can monitor energy use in real-time enabling efficient distribution across communities. Incorporating advanced technologies fostered connectivity within cities and smart city infrastructure, and enabled seamless communication between urban components such as transport networks or emergency services.

“This interconnectedness improves overall livability for Zimbabweans by enhancing accessibility to public services. A vital aspect of achieving Vision 2030 lies in collaboration among different ministries. President Mnangagwa’s leadership emphasises this collective effort towards national development goals.

“By working together effectively under his guidance, ministries can leverage on each other’s strengths through shared vision-setting sessions or joint projects.”

Local Government and Public Works Minister Winston Chitando said there was no doubt that ICT has become an important frontier in leveraging and building competitive organisations that are able to work smarter and more efficiently.

“As a ministry, we have identified digitisation and automation of work processes and operations as being key for us to be able to deliver on our mandate and ultimately the journey towards Vision 2030,” he said.

“This equipment will kick-start the ambitious digitisation and automation programme that we have committed to seeing to fruition.”

“The need for ICT and related equipment in this ministry is huge and you may want to appreciate that the ministry is decentralised to all the 60 rural districts while our various mandates demand that we work with the last administrative unit in the country, the village.

“These include disaster risk management, public works, traditional leadership support services and local authorities among others. Evidently, this requires a strong ICT-enabled structure and staff to undertake and coordinate work processes and this gesture is highly appreciated.”