Surely all those statements by the government about E-governance or to make technology integral seem gibberish when it can’t even maintain its websites. Maybe I’m being overzealous and I’m blowing this out of proportion but who knows what we are losing as a country by just having non-functional websites.
I would like to believe that if a foreign investor wants to invest $100 million in Zimbabwe, in any sector, they would first start by extensively researching about Zimbabwe (and the sector they want to invest in). Someone who wants to invest in the health sector will surely care to take a look at the Ministry of Health website for valuable news and information of that sector.
The investor ‘googles’ and finds a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade website. They are happy until they find out that the website is not working. Embarrassing. An insistent investor will then perhaps turn to biased newspapers and other publications for information.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list
Below, I have just listed 8 important websites (that are not working) and the kind of information a potential investor will probably be looking for on this website. The list is not exhaustive so just tell us (in the comment section below) some important website run by the government that are not working and we fit them in the article.
1 Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education –www.mhtestd.gov.zw/
Information about the state of manpower development in Zimbabwe.
2. Ministry of Health and Child Care – www.mohcc.gov.zw/
Information about the state of health and the healthcare delivery system in Zimbabwe.
3. Department of the Registrar General – www.rg.gov.zw/
Information about passport applications and citizenship application.
4. Department of Deeds – http://www.dcip.gov.zw/
Information about owning assets like land and information about company registration.
5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Trade – www.zimfa.gov.zw/
Information about Zimbabwe’s relations with other countries and how it conducts trade with them.
6. Ministry of Industry Commerce And Enterprise Development – www.mic.gov.zw/index.php
Information of commerce in Zimbabwe and commerce laws.
7. Ministry of Finance and Economic Development – www.zimtreasury.gov.zw/
Information about the general economy, the country’s fiscal and monetary policy.
8. Zimbabwe Government Portal – Government of Zimbabwe – www.zim.gov.zw/
Information about the general state of affairs in the country.
More disappointment
9. Zimstat – www.zimstat.co.zw/
This is perhaps the most important website for an investor since it provides statistics of almost everything that happens in Zimbabwe. Although the website works, you only have to wait at least 6 minutes for it to open. How’s that for the most important website?
Why its important for government websites to properly function
It’s super important for the government to have a websites that are up to date and functional because the world now expects to get information easily from wherever they are before they can jump on a plane to a place they have never been. Ease of doing business starts from ease of accessing information.
2 comments
You are clearly correct there i don’t know why they keep them online while there is no maintenance and also this could be the problem of the people they recruit who don’t keep the sites in shape actually you nailed that
There’s a link I saw on twitter which said that the group anonymous had hacked the websites and taken them down in a show of protest towards the Zim government.