Zim completes north western fibre backbone

The backbone passes through the resort city of Victoria Falls, before heading to Kazungula, where a border with neighbouring Botswana is located.

A FIBRE optic backbone project being undertaken between Bulawayo and Kazungula in north-western Zimbabwe will be completed next week, officials said Tuesday.

The backbone passes through the resort city of Victoria Falls, before heading to Kazungula, where a border with neighbouring Botswana is located.

It is part of a big programme being undertaken by Zimbabwe to improve telecommunications.

A similar project is already underway, linking Bulawayo, Beitbridge and centres between the border town and Harare.

A report presented during this week’s post-cabinet media briefing said significant headway had been made in the project.

“The Bulawayo-Victoria Falls-Kazungula fibre optic backbone project is on course for completion by 15 May 2024,” a report presented by the ICT ministry said.

The cabinet report highlighted progress made in public projects in the first 100 days of 2024.

The ministry also said it had taken its plan to accelerate ICT literacy to prisons, with the establishment of a training facility at the female open prison in Marondera.

Known for its high literacy levels, Zimbabwe has been pushing for ICT literacy to bring skills in line with modern trends.

Part of the programme has seen the introduction of computer skills in many schools, including those in rural communities.

“(Government completed the) establishment of an ICT and vocational training centre (which) was completed and handed over to Marondera Female Open Prison,” the report said.

“The Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, honourable Professor Mthuli Ncube reported progress on projects under his purview as follows timely and adequate disbursements for employment costs and social benefits were done, domestic and external resource mobilisation is ongoing, policy reform matrices for debt arrears clearance were finalised and implementation has commenced,” the report said. 

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