The Southern African Development Community (Southern African Development Community) has taken a major step toward strengthening regional resilience with the launch of the ITU–SADC Emergency Telecommunications and Early Warning Systems for All (EWS4All) Regional Capacity Development Workshop.
The workshop aims to improve the region’s ability to maintain communication networks during climate-related disasters such as floods, droughts and cyclones, which increasingly threaten both digital and physical infrastructure.Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Dingumuzi Phuti, said the initiative marks an important milestone in strengthening emergency communication capabilities across the region. A key outcome of the workshop is the operationalisation of the SADC Model National Emergency Telecommunications Plan (NETP), a framework approved by regional ICT ministers in 2025.
The plan provides a coordinated blueprint designed to ensure telecommunications systems remain functional during emergencies, allowing governments and service providers to maintain connectivity when traditional infrastructure fails.
“Let us embrace this opportunity to learn, collaborate and to strengthen our partnership in enhancing our emergency telecommunications and early warning systems”, said Phuti.
One of the workshop’s central technical priorities is the adoption of the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), a standard that enables early warning systems to operate seamlessly across different networks and countries. By harmonising these systems, telecommunications operators will be able to send critical alerts to citizens regardless of their service provider or location.
Regional officials say the approach will help address long-standing challenges in disaster preparedness, including weak coordination mechanisms and delays in deploying emergency telecommunications equipment.For Zimbabwe, the workshop also highlights the country’s expanding role in regional ICT support systems. Through the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, the country now hosts a regional stockpile of emergency telecommunications equipment provided by the International Telecommunication Union.Training sessions are currently being conducted for SADC national focal persons on standard operating procedures to ensure the equipment can be deployed quickly when disasters strike across the region.
At the national level, Zimbabwe is also moving to implement the NETP framework. The Ministry of ICT is establishing a National Emergency Telecommunications Working Group (NETWG) to coordinate efforts between the Civil Protection Department and telecommunications operators, ensuring a more organised and rapid response during emergencies.
