2.2 The concept of CICs in Zimbabwe CICs are the brain child of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) under their Universal Services Fund (USF).13 The USF, established through the Postal and Telecommunications Act14 is a pool of funds derived from various sources including contributions by all operators licensed by POTRAZ - mobile operators, Internet Access Providers and the fixed line operator.15 Operators are required to contribute 2% of their annual gross turnover to the fund16. One of its purposes is to finance or assist in financing the extension of postal and telecommunications services to underserved areas and community centres within or outside such areas. 17 The CICs project is reported to have been officially initiated in November 2016 by POTRAZ 18 . However, the idea of CICs is not new to Zimbabwe as its evolution can be traced to the late nineties. World Links Zimbabwe, which is part of the international network of World Links organisations, had been actively involved in the establishment of ICT centres in Zimbabwe since mid-1999. Twelve centres were established by 2015, in collaboration with the World Bank and the then Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture in Zimbabwe. The centres were established near schools where they could service both the schools and communities19. This saw the birth of school-based CICs. World Links also established the “Blue Bus” which had computers installed and which drove to rural communities to encourage access to ICT services20. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Since then, the government has made drastic changes in line with its policies, such as the Presidential Computerisation Programme and the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIMASSET). ZIMASSET was adopted in 2013 as an “economic blueprint aimed at growing the economy through the creation of jobs, improving health, social service delivery and providing affordable housing”. The policy treated communication in general and ICTs in particular, as one of the pillars for economic growth. It is reported that the establishment of CICs took place in response to Goal 2 of the Connect Africa Summit, which highlights the aim of ICT as follows: “Connect African Villages to broadband ICT services by 2015 and implement shared access initiatives such as CICs and village phones”21. The Master Plan, once fully rolled out, is expected to see the country achieving the digital economy aspirations of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) which intends to have internet access at village level by 203022. It will completely transform government processes, services and management, and make information access and service delivery to the general public more efficient, raise the country’s competitiveness and align the country in line with vision 2030’s23 digitisation agenda. Apart from addressing the rural to urban divide, it also seems that interventions are underway to also address the age divide, especially the marginalisation of elderly people or those commonly termed ‘digital refugees. In May 2022, at the commissioning of community information centres at Murombedzi Primary and Secondary government schools and Murombedzi business https://www.potraz.gov.zw/?page_id=411 Section 73 of the Postal and Telecommunications Act Section 75 of the Postal and Telecommunications Act F. Mudzingwa, (2018) Since 2009 POTRAZ Has Collected Over $120 Million For The Universal Service Fund https://www.techzim.co.zw/2018/06/potraz-rakes-in-120million-from-universal-service-fund/#:~:text=What's%20USF%3F,telecoms%20infrastructure%20in%20the%20country. Section 74 of the Postal and Telecommunications Act T. Pikirayi, 2018 What Are These Community Information Centres (CICs) Being Commissioned by POTRAZ All About???. TECHZIM. Available at: https://www.techzim.co.zw/2018/01/what-are-these-community-information-centres-cics-being-commissioned-by-potraz-all-about/. N. Rajah, (2015). E-Government in Zimbabwe: An Analysis of Progress Made and Challenges Ahead. Journal of Global Research in Computer Science. 6 (12) 11-16. M. Mushunje, (2020) Customer Perceptions of Community Information Centres in Zimbabwe. F. Machivenyika. The Herald, 12 June 2014. President launches information Centre. National Development Strategy1 Document 2021-2025. The Government of Zimbabwe 2020. Vision 2030 is a National Development Plan approved by the government of Zimbabwe in September 2018. It seeks to build Zimbabwe into an upper middle income society by 2030. It is composed of two strategies: NDS1 (2021-2025) and NDS2 (2026-2030). MISA Zimbabwe • The State of Access and Use of Community Information Centres (CICs) in Zimbabwe 5