Causeway CIC burgled as Minister calls communities to safeguard from theft and vandalism

By Tendai Chisiri

A burglary occurred at Causeway Post Office’ Community Information Centre (CIC) where a server and some laptops were stolen before the commissioning of the CICs in Harare on Tuesday.

Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services Dr Jenfan Muswere at the launch ceremony urged communities to safeguard the CICs from theft and vandalism.

The burglary at Causeway CIC has reduced the number of users from around 15 to 8 people. Kudzai Albert Msindo who works in Causeway commercial district said he uses the CIC regurlarly and the theft of the server has left users having difficulties to access the free Wi-fi as before.

‘A window was broken where the sever was kept with some laptops. It was noticed in the morning and this has left others unable to connect when eight people have been connected. Sometimes one can go back having not used the free Wi-fi”, Msindo said.

Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere commissioned 10 CICs in the metroprolitan area of Harare as a total of 170 CICs have been established country wide and an additional 32 are under construction and will open their doors to the public next year.

He highlighted that growth in the ICT sector can only be achieved when there is a large pool of qualified personnel in the different spheres of the ICT industry.
” It is important therefore, that the right skills and competencies must be in place at all levels. I therefore, call upon the youths countrywide to take up studies in the different disciplines in the ICT sector and to make use of the facilities we are commissioning today to conduct research when doing your school work”, he said.

He reiterated that digital inclusion can only thrive where the community can identify themselves with the available digital content.

” Digital inclusion is therefore, dependant on the availability of content in local languages and dialects. I cannot over-emphasise the need for the development of local content if this Community Information Centre is to make the desired impact among the local communities. If properly developed and marketed such content can also create employment for the local communities”, Dr Muswere added.

He therefore, called upon all communities to start identifying local content that could be digitized and be made available through the Internet for the benefit of the local community.

He concluded by indicating as people can loosely say COVID 19 is behind us, not because the virus is gone but because most of us are out of danger due to Governments massive vaccination program. “While we recall the horrors of COVID 19, one thing we certainly learnt from the Pandemic, it is the centrality of ICTs to humanity”, he added.

“While physical interaction and activities came to a screeching halt, ICTs became the conduit for our continued living – for our continued learning, for our continued trade, for our continued business and for our continued interaction. Life was certainly going to be unbearable during the pandemic without ICTs, but we continued to work online, learn online, do business and keep in touch with loved ones” , minister Dr Muswere said.

“In this regard, let us cherish and value ICTs. In so doing – let us safeguard our Community Information Centres from theft and vandalism and let us make full use of them for our own benefit”, he added.