KEYNOTE ADDRESS Zimbabwe’s plans on Internet Governance PRESENTED BY SIMON COSMAS CHIGWAMBA Ministry of ICTs, Postal and Courier Services Principal Director maturity as experienced in advanced economies correlates with an increase in real per capita GDP of US$500 on average. • The future of Zimbabwe’s Internet Ecosystem is very bright owing to the fact that Zimbabwe is part of the global village where information communication technologies (ICTs) are rapidly developing making communication between and among individuals in and around the globe, easier, faster and more efficient. With the growth of the internet in Zimbabwe, interaction among friends, family members and business communities has drastically improved. • In embracing these opportunities, the government of Zimbabwe is aware of the need to come up with robust measures to address the various threats and risks to national and citizens security and privacy that the internet brings with it. • The internet has transformed the way Zimbabweans work, socialise, create and share information and organise the flow of people, ideas and things. With rapid internet infrastructural development, there has been commendable growth in e-services and social network applications that consumers have fully embraced. These services and applications range from e-learning, e-business, mobile money transfer, mobile wireless broadband, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Skype, among others. • Government and involved stakeholders must strive to develop and nurture a healthy internet ecosystem that boosts infrastructure, access and a competitive environment that benefits consumers. This environment should allow innovators and entrepreneurs to nurture human capital and to thrive in their investments. • Owing to the growth and development of the internet, Zimbabwe now has an information economy which depends on the production, use and purchase of information, knowledge and technology in one form or the other. The government of Zimbabwe recognises the need to harness this • Through the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Social Economic Transformation (Zim-ASSET), government has identified ICTs and infrastructure as one of its key result areas. The Ministry’s vision is to have a knowledge- based society that has ubiquitous internet connectivity by the year 2020; thereby connecting citizens anywhere, anytime and anyhow regardless of their geographic location or economic status in society. • Government is spearheading the development of communications infrastructure by State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and players in the private sector. Practical actions being undertaken by the government • • This saw the completion of connection to undersea cables through neighbouring Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana. Currently, the focus is on connecting the whole country to the fibre link. This is aimed at high internet bandwidth; improving regional and global communication; matching global standards; development as research has shown a correlation between maturity of the internet ecosystem and rising living standards. The increase in internet INTERNET GOVERNANCE MULTISTAKEHOLDER CONFERENCE REPORT 2015 In the year 2009, the government and some private players embarked on the development of fibre optic infrastructure for broadband connectivity which has seen it facilitate the deployment of fibre optic links to the country’s major cities in accordance with the National Communication Fibre Optic Backbone Plan. 011 www.misazim.com @misazimbabwe MISA Zimbabwe