3.4 Accessibility (Distance/Ease of access) CICs are defined “as access points of information and communication technologies based on services and applications30. However, the survey showed that access to CICs for some respondents in areas such as Chibuwe in Chipinge, and Murehwa in Mashonaland East, is limited due to longer distances from their homes. In Macheke, respondents highlighted that they had no access to the centre as it is always closed and not open to the public. We have a Community Information Centre which has been converted to personal use in Macheke. Equipment is there but it has been closed as we hear of squabbles between a former employee and the employer, wrote one respondent. Likewise, in Mpopoma, Bulawayo, respondents have no access to the computer room; they are only allowed to use WI-FI while outside. They are exposed to noise pollution and at risk of attack or being verbally abused by beer drinkers or robbed of their gadgets as the centre is closer to the shops and the road. More so, those without their own computers or smartphones are not able to use the facility. In Marondera, Mashonaland East Province, some respondents highlighted the issue of long and cumbersome processes when trying to access the centre thus, discouraging many people from using the facility. In some areas such as Nyanyadzi, Checheche, Murehwa and Marondera, respondents have access to the centre, but said the operating times posed a challenge. For example, school-going children want more time after school to complete their homework. More so, time allocated per each session per user in some CICs in Mpopoma and Lupane, where people are given tickets/tokens that are only valid for one hour, is limited. Given that most CICs do not have power back-ups in the context of continuous power cuts and poor internet connections, the time lapses before the users finish their data or task in the event. 3.5 Use of the CICs CICs have been established at Post Offices to offer the following services; Training facilities-equipped with computers, Internet Sur fing, WIFI hotspots, Photocopying, Printing, Scanning, Faxing and Gaming services31. From the survey, 155 respondents, amounting to sixty four percent indicated that they used CICs for research and education. These include those doing their home works especially the Continuous Assessment Learning Activity (CALA), which is a student assessment system that was implemented in the final term of 2021 in preparation for the 2021 Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) examinations32 for primary students and research for university students and other professionals. Meanwhile, 104 respondents constituting 43%, used CICs to check or share news, 38% of respondents used CICs for leisure and entertainment and connecting with others. In addition, 35% reported having used CICs for work, while the lowest, was 24.1 % who used CICs to contact local representatives. More so, at the provincial level, 27% of respondents in Masvingo and 21 % in Manicaland, used CICs for education and research. This includes CALA for both primary and secondary learners. However, the use of CICs also includes learning literacy and digital skills and it is also determined by the available equipment. For example, some CICs are one-stop shops and can cover a wide range of services such as printing, gaming, and internet, among others, while some do not even have computers. 30 Faroqi, Siddiquee and Ullah (2019). Sustainability of CICs in developing Countries. p. 113. 31 http://www.zimpost.co.zw/bus_center 32 Sunday News, 05 June 2022. What are the objectives of CALA?. Available at: https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/what-are-the-objectives-of-cala/. (Accessed on 25 October 2022). MISA Zimbabwe • The State of Access and Use of Community Information Centres (CICs) in Zimbabwe 9