By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
VICTORIA FALLS — For thousands of years, resurrection existed only in the realm of faith, spirituality, and divine power.
But according to the Director General of Zimbabwe’s postal and telecommunications regulator, humanity is now standing at the edge of a technological frontier that could fundamentally redefine the meaning of life, identity, and even death itself.
And Dr Gift Machengete wants Africa to decide, right now, whether that is a future the continent actually wants.
Speaking Tuesday at the ITU Regional Development Forum for Africa 2026 and the African Preparatory Meeting for PP-26 in Victoria Falls, Dr Machengete painted a startling picture of what he called the coming era of “digital resurrection.”
“Imagine bringing the dead back to life,” Dr Machengete told an audience of regulators, operators, and development partners from across the continent.
He described how a deceased person’s digital footprint — voice recordings, social media posts, messages, photographs, videos, writings, personality traits, behavioural patterns, and accumulated knowledge — can now be collected and analysed by advanced AI systems.
That intelligence, he said, can then be integrated into highly sophisticated humanoid robots or synthetic digital beings designed to replicate human appearance, facial expressions, speech patterns, emotional responses, and even physical mannerisms.
“In other words,” Dr Machengete said, “humanity is entering an era where people may one day speak, interact, learn from, and even live alongside synthetic versions of deceased loved ones that appear astonishingly human.”
But his tone shifted sharply from futuristic wonder to moral caution.
“As Africans, however, we must ask ourselves an important question: is this the future we want? Because while technology may make something possible, humanity must still decide whether it is desirable.”
The POTRAZ chief argued that Africa has always valued the sanctity of life, the dignity of death, the spirituality of existence, the importance of family, and the humanity of human relationships. Those values, he said, form part of the moral and cultural foundation of African societies.
To illustrate his point, Dr Machengete drew laughter from the audience with a lighthearted warning about Victoria Falls itself — where warthogs casually stroll the streets and elephants observe from nearby golf fairways.
“While we encourage you to embrace the adventure and enjoy the wildlife around you,” he said, “we strongly advise against attempting to swim with the crocodiles.”
The metaphor was clear: just because something is possible does not mean it is wise. And just because technology can recreate the dead, does not mean Africans should rush to embrace it without deep ethical and cultural reflection.
Traditional leaders and cultural experts who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity expressed both fascination and unease at the prospect of AI-powered digital ancestors.
Some noted that many African cultures maintain living relationships with the deceased through spiritual practices, including rites of ancestor veneration that honour the dead precisely because they have transitioned to another realm of existence.
A synthetic replica, they worried, might be seen not as a comfort but as a profound disrespect.
Dr Machengete warned that Africa cannot afford to become a passive consumer of technologies developed elsewhere without participating in the conversations that shape their direction, limits, ethics, and impact on humanity.
“If Africa does not actively participate in shaping Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, then the future may be designed without African values, African cultures, African spirituality, African languages, and African perspectives,” he said.
“That would be a profound mistake because technology is never neutral. Every technology carries the values, assumptions, philosophies, and cultural perspectives of those who create it.”
As the global tech industry pushes forward with experiments in grief technology, digital twins of the deceased, and AI companions that mimic lost loved ones, Dr Machengete’s address stands as one of the most forceful calls yet from an African regulator for the continent to establish its own red lines.
“Africa must help influence the direction of innovation itself,” he concluded. “We must advocate for a direction that preserves humanity, respects cultural diversity, protects the dignity of human life, and reflects African ethos, African moral values, and African understandings of community, identity, family, and coexistence.”
The ITU Regional Development Forum continues in Victoria Falls through the week, with the African Preparatory Meeting for PP-26 expected to produce a continental position on AI governance and digital ethics ahead of global negotiations later this year.
For now, the question lingers in the air above the falls: If technology one day offers you the chance to speak with a synthetic version of a loved one who has died, will you say yes? And what would your ancestors say if you did?
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