Zimbabwe: Funding Gaps Could Undermine Digital Transformation - Mavetera

Information Communication Technology (ICT) Minister Tatenda Mavetera has warned that inadequate funding for the sector is threatening the county's digital transformation ambitions calling on Treasury to increase investment in critical infrastructure, rural connectivity and cybersecurity.

Mavetera said the Ministry had been allocated just ZWG1.03 billion against its 2027 budget bid of ZWG12.72 billion leaving a funding gap of nearly ZWG11.69 billion.

Responding to concerns raised by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on ICT, Postal and Courier Services chairperson Vusimuzi Moyo during the 2027 National Pre-Budget Seminar in Bulawayo, Mavetera said the proposed allocation covered only 8.09 percent of the Ministry's requirements.

She said the persistent funding shortfall was limiting the Government's capacity to expand digital services, maintain existing infrastructure and connect underserved communities.

"We are therefore entering a fourth consecutive budget year in which less than one tenth of the stated requirement is funded. That pattern leaves a backlog of equipment replacement and limits our ability to extend services while maintaining existing systems," said Mavetera.

The Minister said the Ministry's share of the national budget had also declined from 0.46 percent in 2021 to a proposed 0.28 percent in 2027 despite the growing importance of ICT in supporting economic activities and public service delivery.

Although the 2027 allocation represents a 34.7 percent increase from the revised 2026 budget, Mavetera said the funding remained inadequate to meet the sector's expanding demands.

She argued that ICT should no longer be treated as an isolated government portfolio but as essential infrastructure supporting agriculture, education, healthcare, commerce and public administration.

"ICT is now a general-purpose infrastructure for the whole economy not a single ministry's line item," she said.

Mavetera's response followed Moyo's presentation which highlighted concerns over inadequate funding, poor infrastructure maintenance, limited rural connectivity and delays in implementing key government digitalisation programmes.

On expenditure performance, the Minister acknowledged that the Ministry had spent only 33 percent of its revised 2026 budget by September 30 but attributed much of the shortfall to delayed and inadequate Treasury releases.

She said the Ministry had received ZWG344.6 million representing 45 percent of its revised annual allocation of ZWG763.5 million, and had spent approximately 74 percent of the funds released.

"An allocation that has not been released cannot pay a supplier, renew a licence or complete an installation," she said calling for predictable funding releases aligned with procurement and contractual payment milestones.

However, Mavetera acknowledged that the Ministry also needed to improve procurement processes and ensure that available resources translated into completed projects.

Despite the financial constraints, she highlighted several achievements recorded during 2026, including connecting 460 health institutions under the Smart Health programme, distributing 8,700 Presidential Internet Scheme kits and equipping 300 schools with ICT laboratories across the country's 10 provinces.

The Ministry also trained 9 000 citizens directly while its partners reached another 135 227 people. In addition, 114 free public internet hotspots were established nationwide.

Mavetera said the achievements demonstrated the importance of partnerships but warned that donated equipment required continued funding for internet subscriptions, electricity, maintenance and technical support.

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