By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
HARARE – The Government is finalising a new National Cybersecurity Strategy (2026–2030) that will establish a National Cybersecurity Authority to strengthen the country’s cyber resilience and protect critical digital infrastructure as Zimbabwe accelerates its digital transformation agenda.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Inter-Regional CyberDrill for Africa and Arab States in Victoria Falls on Wednesday, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera said the proposed authority would coordinate Zimbabwe’s response to cyber threats and enhance the protection of critical information infrastructure.
“Through this Ministry, we are finalising our National Cybersecurity Strategy for 2026–2030, anchored on the proposed establishment of the National Cybersecurity Authority of Zimbabwe,” Mavetera said.
“This Authority will coordinate our national incident response capability, strengthen the protection of our Critical Information Infrastructure, and build sustainable local capacity so that we are not merely consumers of digital services, but confident guardians of our own digital sovereignty.”
The minister said the lessons learnt during the four-day CyberDrill would directly inform Zimbabwe’s national cybersecurity framework.
She said cybersecurity had become the foundation of Zimbabwe’s Smart Zimbabwe 2030 Master Plan, which seeks to digitise public services, agriculture, healthcare, education and urban development.
“Cybersecurity is not a side project to Smart Zimbabwe 2030. It is the bedrock on which the entire master plan rests,” she said.
“A digital service that citizens cannot trust is one that citizens will not use.”
Mavetera warned that cybercrime was becoming increasingly sophisticated as countries embraced digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
Quoting global estimates, she said ransomware attacks now occur every 11 seconds while cybercrime cost the global economy approximately US$10.5 trillion in 2025.
“If cybercrime were a country, it would have the third-largest economy on Earth,” she said.
She stressed that Zimbabwe was moving away from traditional approaches to cybersecurity by focusing on resilience and rapid incident response rather than attempting to prevent every cyberattack.
As part of the strategy, Government also plans to operationalise a National Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT) within the next 12 months to improve coordination between Government, financial institutions, telecommunications companies and utility providers.
The minister urged African countries to strengthen regional cooperation against increasingly borderless cyber threats through intelligence sharing, harmonised legislation and coordinated responses.
The CyberDrill, hosted by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) in partnership with the ITU, has attracted cybersecurity experts from Africa and the Arab States to test national preparedness against evolving cyber threats.
About Author
