By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
VICTORIA FALLS — The mighty Zambezi River plunged over the basalt cliff with a roar that has echoed for millennia.
The mist rose in columns visible from kilometres away. And on the banks of that ancient waterway, a continent gathered to ask itself a question: can Africa’s voice thunder as loudly as the falls themselves?
Dr. Gift Machengete, Director General of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), believes it can.
Addressing the Second African Preparatory Meeting for the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 — known as PP-26 — Dr Machengete turned to the natural wonder that has drawn visitors to this corner of the world for centuries. He did not see a tourist attraction. He saw a metaphor.
“May the thunder of the mighty Victoria Falls remind us of the power of our collective voice,” Dr Machengete told delegates gathered from across the continent.
“May its mist inspire renewal and fresh thinking, and may its flowing waters symbolise the momentum we must carry forward — together — as one Africa.”
The setting was deliberate. Victoria Falls, known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya — “the smoke that thunders” — is not a gentle stream. It is a force of nature that announces itself from a distance, that cannot be ignored, that demands attention simply by existing.
Dr Machengete’s message was clear: Africa’s voice in global digital governance should be no different.
The Second African Preparatory Meeting, held just two days after the conclusion of the ITU Regional Development Forum for Africa, brings together delegates from across the continent to coordinate strategy ahead of the Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 — the supreme decision-making body of the International Telecommunication Union.
At PP-26, the world’s nations will make decisions that will shape the global digital landscape for years to come: on spectrum allocation, on satellite orbital slots, on emerging technologies, on next-generation connectivity systems.
And Dr Machengete argued that Africa cannot afford to be a passive observer in those conversations.
“The future of the global digital economy will be shaped by those who are prepared, strategic, and united,” he said.
The imagery of the falls ran through his address like a river running to the sea. He had opened with a cherished Zimbabwean custom about welcoming guests — slaughtering a chicken for a friend, a goat for a relative, a cow for in-laws, and bringing those truly dear to the heart to Victoria Falls.
He had quoted Chinua Achebe about gathering in the moonlit village ground. And he had closed with the thunder, the mist, and the flowing waters.
For delegates who had spent days in conference halls, the metaphor offered a moment of respite — and of clarity.
One delegate, who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity, described the effect of Dr Machengete’s closing words.
“You sit in these meetings and you hear about resolutions and action plans and regional initiatives,” the delegate said.
“And then someone reminds you that Victoria Falls has been roaring for thousands of years, and that our continent has always had a voice. It makes you think differently about what we are here to do.”
Machengete left no doubt about what he believes Africa must achieve at PP-26.
“We want our people in the ITU Management Team — those elective positions. We want our people in the ITU Council.
“We want our people on the Radio Regulations Board. We want our people in key ITU Study Groups and Working Parties,” he said.
He emphasised that African representation in these structures is “not symbolic — it is strategic.”
“Our presence ensures that Africa’s priorities, realities, and developmental aspirations are embedded in global decisions,” he said.
To achieve that, Dr Machengete argued for a single, unifying principle: “Africa must speak with one voice.”
It is a phrase that has been uttered at countless African gatherings over decades. But at the foot of Victoria Falls, with the thunder in the background and the mist in the air, it seemed to carry a different weight.
The falls do not negotiate. They do not compromise. They simply roar.
“Together, let us ensure that when Africa speaks, the world listens,” Dr Machengete concluded.
Outside, the smoke continued to thunder. Whether Africa’s collective voice will rise to meet it is the question that will be answered at PP-26.
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