The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda in Murambinda
YOUNG people should take up careers in the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) industry, which is creating plenty of employment opportunities at a time jobs are dwindling in other sectors, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Speaking at the official launch of the Murambinda Community Information Centre on Friday, the Minister of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, emphasised the need for improved internet connectivity in rural areas.
To that effect, the Postal and Telecommunication Regulation Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) donated more than 100 laptops to various schools in Buhera and surrounding areas.
“Whilst it is true that jobs are dwindling in other disciplines, for those with skills in energy frontier technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Machine Learning and Blockchain, the job market is actually expanding,” Minister Muswere told the gathering at Murambinda “B” Primary School.
He added: “We are indeed living in unprecedented times. A time where Internet connectivity is no longer a luxury but a basic need for day to day survival, whether one stays in urban or rural areas. Access to the Internet has always been important but Covid-19 has amplified the wide gap between the connected and the unconnected.
“Whilst it is critical for those in urban areas to be connected, mobile broadband is equally critical for rural under-served and unserved communities.”
At the event, Potraz also offered free internet services, for a year, to the schools that were presented with laptops.
Deputy Minister of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Mr Dingimuzi Phuti, Potraz Director General Dr Gift Machengete, Buhera West Member of Parliament Honourable Soul Nzuma and various representatives from the education sector were also in attendance.
The schools that benefited from the laptops include Mukondomi, Nerutanga, Makumbe and Hande while Murambinda Hospital School of Nursing also received its allocation.
