by Staff reporter
Hwange -The Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) says Community Information Centers (CICs) are pivotal in the fight against COVID-19, as communities can readily access relevant information on the virus.
Like most Southern African countries and beyond, Zimbabwe is battling the COVID-19 pandemic as well as planning its aftermath. So far, various intervention instituted by Government are bearing fruits as new cases of the pandemic have dropped.
Zimbabwe is currently making commendable strides in harnessing Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the fight against the pandemic.
In a speech read on his behalf at the official opening of Hwange Community Information Centre on Thursday, POTRAZ Director General, Dr Gift Machengete urged Zimbabweans to utilize such facilities to access relevant information on COVID-19.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Community Information Centers are strategic in the fight against COVID–19, as they give communities access to accurate information about the deadly Corona Virus – how to avoid contracting it and what to do when one is infected,” he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, Deputy Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Dingumuzi Phuthi said CICs were vital in championing development at community level in line with government’s devolution agenda.
“The need for the development of local content using local languages and dialects cannot therefore, be overemphasized if CICs are to make the desired impact among the communities in which they are deployed,” Phuthi said.
To date, POTRAZ has bank rolled the establishment of 146 CICs across the country’s 10 provinces, with 114 already operational and 14 of them providing free training in the use of computers to members of the community.
Matabeleland North Province, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Richard Moyo hailed the initiative saying, “At the click of a button, our community can now get the latest information not only about the virus, but also about other important issues real-time.”
ICTs are central in the achievement of Vision 2030.
