Story by Josephine Mugiyo, Diplomatic Correspondent
DIRECTOR of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Dr Cosmas Zavazava, has paid a courtesy call on President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House in Harare this Thursday as part of his campaign for a second term at the organisation.
The ITU, a specialised agency of the United Nations with a membership of 194 countries, is mandated to promote global connectivity and enhance telecommunications infrastructure and services worldwide.
Speaking after a closed-door meeting with the President, Dr Zavazava said their talks touched on the need to integrate technology at the centre of the country’s development efforts.
“Zimbabwe has benefited from a plethora of projects that we are rolling out. So we have had a very good discussion. There is great commitment, and of course, it would be quite prudent for me to say that we are going to unleash what we call the Baku Action Plan, which is the result of the ninth World Telecommunication Development Conference and ITU. We are mandated to run this kind of conference every four years to give us a new mandate. We just returned from Azerbaijan, Baku, where we adopted a very ambitious programme that is focusing on investing in affordable, rolling out skills and digital platforms, as well as creating an enabling environment so that investors can come and invest,” he said.
Dr Zavazava said Zimbabwe currently has a favourable environment for investments in the digital space.
“I think Zimbabwe has got a very proactive and favourable environment, particularly now, and also making sure that our regulator is agile and flexible and innovative to attract investment and demonstrate that there are opportunities and there is a return on investment, particularly in rural and remote areas,” he said.
The Minister of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Honourable Tatenda Mavetera, who was also present at the courtesy call emphasised the importance of the ITU in the development of the local telecommunications sector and the significance of Zimbabwe’s leadership of the union.
“ITU is one of the international borders, which is very, very important to the development of telecommunications, and now he is going to be campaigning for his second term as Director in charge of telecommunications development. He came here to seek the support of His Excellency. He is now campaigning for his second term as director in charge of telecommunications development. So this is quite critical because it’s important that he also gets endorsement from the highest office of the state.
“Just getting that endorsement is enough to get other regional players also coming on board. For us to make sure that we at least get this position. We are also grateful for the work that ITU has done and his coming here and reaffirming his commitment to Zimbabwe’s telecommunications development is very critical to our development in the telecommunications sector,” she said.
Dr Zavazava’s election to his current post was seen as a victory for the African continent.
