Online Reporter
Columbus Mabika and Spiwe Sarakunze
AFRICA needs to invest in home-grown and developed hardware, software and critical information system infrastructure to counter national security challenges, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, has said.
He said this in his remarks while presenting on the topic, “The evolution of information systems and how this has impacted on national security”, to participants of the National Defence Course at the Zimbabwe National Defence University in Harare yesterday.
Dr Muswere said technology is developing at a faster pace, which is having a bearing on national security.
“The evolution of information system value chains is mainly outside Africa, from hardware, software, and development and this poses national, regional and continental security threats,” he said.
“So, Africa needs to define the future of ICT systems in terms of home-grown solutions. As we are gathered here today, the global community is going through enormous transformation.
“Technology is developing at an unprecedented rate, and this has a complex effect on national security.”
Dr Muswere added that information, publicity and broadcasting is also not immune from the major transformations taking place in the world, making it imperative to reflect on evolutions of technology and their impact on national security.
Developing nations continue to face foreign-funded propaganda through social media and radio stations, he said, resulting in massive misinformation to suit the aspirations of the funders.
This action, Dr Muswere said, is against International Telecommunications Union regulations.
“(Through) such interference, foreign nations are able to voice their opinions on African issues thereby interfering with issues beyond the reach of their geographical boundaries,” he said.
Dr Muswere said the birth of the Second Republic had fast-tracked the connection of communities to the internet and extension of the radio signal to rural areas.
“New television stations are mushrooming in all corners of the country. Since 1980, Zimbabwe only had one broadcaster and today under the astute leadership of our President Cde Dr ED Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe enjoys a flourishing information access economy,” he said.
Turning to social media, Dr Muswere said they continue to misinform society, hence the need to put some regulatory mechanisms.
“Social media usage is on the rise and is consistently affecting mainstream media. As we speak, within the broadcasting industry, printed media circulation used to be 100 000 copies per day, but is now less than 10 000 copies per day (due to social media),” he said.
Dr Muswere said revenue that used to support the local media industry is now being taken by social media channels, causing viability challenges for the mainstream media.
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