THE Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has begun a project to connect remote Judiciary, Police Stations, Prisons And Correctional Services to the internet to improve information dissemination.
This comes at a time when most rural communities are not connected and have limited access to information.
The Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Honourable Jenfan Muswere, updated Cabinet on the ICT-based interventions, which Government through the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), is implementing to attain the digital economy as enunciated in the National Development Strategy 1: 2021-2025 and also to mitigate challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the programme, POTRAZ will provide gadgets and connectivity to rural Police Stations as part of the implementation of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage’s Integrated Management System. The focus will be on smart policing which involves the movement of dockets from the Police to the courts system and finally the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS). In addition, the stations will have their bandwidth subscription for twelve months paid for in full. The initiative will also see the ZRP, local authorities and other security services being connected to the Smart Transport and Traffic Management System. This will enable easy identification and follow-up of traffic offenders and their sanctioning. The pilot study has already been completed.
Government is making efforts to ensure the ubiquitous availability of ICTs throughout the country in order to enable those in remote areas to participate in the digital economy and to increase their overall economic well-being, competitiveness, digital inclusion, poverty reduction and improved health and education.
Under the digitization of the Judiciary, judicial officers are being trained in preparation for the launch of the Integrated Electronic Case Management System which is set for next year. The System will bring together the prisons, community corrections, courts services and other related agencies to more efficiently provide justice through digital means. In addition, the Government in partnership with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) is in the process of establishing Virtual Courts. The project will result in the installation and use of a video conferencing system at all court complexes and prisons.
Provision of desktop computers and accessories to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) and the Judicial Services Commission (JSC).
The National Prosecution Authority, the Attorney-General’s Office and the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC) are also being digitized.
Cabinet invites the public to note that digitization of systems is targeted at eliminating corruption at the institutions through reduction of human interface as well as advancing the country’s ease of doing business programme. All costs will be borne by Government.
