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Leroy Dzenga

Herald Reporter

Government has identified Mazowe area in Mashonaland Central as a suitable location for the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA) communication centre.

The communication centre is where space to earth signalling will be done.

Instead of setting up infrastructure elsewhere, it was decided that the existing Mazowe Satellite Station run by TelOne be expanded.

Speaking to The Herald recently, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science, Innovation and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said a decision was made to operationalise ZINGSA at the lowest cost possible.

“We saw the need to have combined capability between ZINGSA and TelOne, we decided that we refurbish the existing satellite station in Mazowe,” Prof Murwira said.

“Our teams are working together with experts from TelOne under the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services. A budget of $25 million was set aside for the expansion of the site, a process which has since slowed down due to the ongoing global health crisis. Construction has been delayed by Covid-19, but once it is safe to proceed we will commence the work.”

The Mazowe Satellite Station was opened in August 1985 to handle telephone signals.

Its use has been expanded through refurbishments over the years.

ZINGSA and TelOne`s collaboration becomes the station’s latest improvement.

Prof Murwira said Covid-19 and other widespread national stresses provided grounds on which the existence of a space agency was plausible.

The skeletal ZINGSA, is operating without a secretariat, yet it is already helping in the country`s fight against the pandemic.

“We had to make sure that ZINGSA helps the country even before it is fully constituted,” said Prof Murwira. “Presently, it is co-ordinated by a group of scientists who are helping the Ministry of Health and Child Care with mapping and contact tracing.”

Zimbabwe is among a number of African countries working hard to bring space technology closer to its people.

ZINGSA, which was launched by President Mnangagwa in 2018, has potential to help decision making in pandemic management, territorial security, mining, agriculture, media, telecommunications and agriculture conservation, among many other uses.