By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Only one Southern African country has signed a key international treaty designed to speed up telecommunications support during disasters, officials revealed on Wednesday.
Addressing delegates at the ITU–SADC Emergency Telecommunications and Early Warning Systems for All (EWS4All) workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of ICT, Honourable Dingumuzi Phuti, said the Madagascar is currently the only SADC Member State listed as a signatory to the Tampere Convention.
The Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations, which came into force on 8 January 2005 following ratification by 49 countries, facilitates the rapid deployment of telecommunications equipment and expertise across borders during emergencies.
The treaty, administered under the framework of the International Telecommunication Union, removes regulatory barriers that often delay the importation and use of emergency telecommunications equipment in disaster-hit areas.
Hon. Phuti urged other members of the Southern African Development Community to consider becoming parties to the Convention, saying it could significantly reduce response times and save lives during climate-related emergencies.
Experts note that delays in customs clearance, licensing and spectrum allocation frequently hamper emergency response efforts when cyclones, floods or other disasters strike.
By acceding to the Tampere Convention, countries commit to facilitating the swift entry and use of telecommunications resources for humanitarian operations.
The call comes as Southern Africa continues to face rising climate risks, with increasingly severe tropical cyclones and flooding events affecting multiple countries in recent years.
Officials at the workshop said greater treaty adoption, combined with harmonised regional standards and improved early warning systems, could significantly strengthen disaster resilience across the region.
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