By Shadreck Gurenje
ICTs play an important role in direct poverty alleviation by enhancing activities of poor and increasing their productivity by way of new credit and financial services, new opportunities to design, manufacture and market products through the Internet or intranet systems, etc. These interventions can be successful only when accompanied with other supporting infrastructure consisting of access roads, storage facilities, competitive markets and opportunities to global market. The impact of select projects demonstrates various levels of reducing poverty.
Under the Second Republic President Mnangagwa outlined a vision of an upper middle-income economy for Zimbabwe by 2030, meaning all the conditions that lead to industrialisation and modernisation have to be fulfilled. It is no doubt that the achievement of the vision lies in the country’s education system and its design. President Mnangagwa has reiterated that the ICT sector remains a key priority of the ZANU PF government as the nation move to modernise and revitalise the ICT policy framework and structural competences in order to ensure the improved market competitiveness of Zimbabwe’s products and services in the global market.
President Mnangagwa also said his administration is intensifying the implementation of education 5.0 to further support science and technology especially to the young generation.
"On human resource and skills development front, my administration is intensifying the implementation of the Education 5.0 Policy, vocational education and technical entrepreneurship training. At the centre of the agenda are innovation hubs and industrial parks which will propel the modernisation and industrialization of our nation as well as see the production of our goods and services for our people.
“The Vocational Training Centres are being capacitated in line with my Government's Science, Technology and Innovation agenda and in keeping with contemporary trends. I have directed the establishment of 10 more targeted vocational training centres, be speeded up," said President Mnangagwa.
In 2017, President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially opened the National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Innovation Drive and the launch of the policy was meant to address the digital divide in Zimbabwe and bring internet inclusion to the marginalised people of the country.
President Mnangagwa also added that the ICT sector in Zimbabwe will contribute towards job creation and market growth as it will address the digital divide characterised by highly unequal access to the use of ICT.