By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa says Zimbabwe is embracing artificial intelligence and digital technologies to modernise public sector systems and strengthen trust between citizens and Government.
He said this at the launch of the Citizen Engagement and Scoring Platform in Harare on Thursday.
Mnangagwa said the new platform demonstrates Government’s commitment to leveraging technology to accelerate reforms and improve governance.
“I was equally impressed that the Platform ensures that technology, in particular Artificial Intelligence, is leveraged to propel reforms and the modernisation of our systems towards increased trust between the citizens and Government,” he said.
He said the platform would help improve relations between ratepayers and local authorities by promoting accountability and ensuring that commitments made by leaders are matched by tangible development outcomes.
“It will equally enhance the social contract between rate payers and Local Authorities. This should see greater convergence between the promises we make and the transformational impacts of our performance. Ultimately, we should see improved outcomes, mutually beneficial decisions, as well as more inclusive and resilient societies,” he said.
Mnangagwa described the Citizen Engagement and Scoring Platform as a practical mechanism for strengthening confidence in governance institutions and urged citizens to actively utilise it.
“The Citizen Engagement and Scoring Platform must therefore be viewed and effectively utilised as a concrete tool to build confidence and sustain public trust. I invite citizens to embrace this system and hold Local Authorities accountable while also strengthening the fundamental principles of responsive, transparent and people-centred participatory governance,” he said.
Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe said the platform would enhance service delivery and empower communities to take part in governance processes.
He thanked President Mnangagwa for officiating at the launch and for providing visionary leadership towards the attainment of an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
Garwe said the platform would empower both rural and urban communities to contribute to decision-making while facilitating the modernisation of local authorities.
“The platform will assist in service delivery and empower communities, both rural and urban, to contribute to decision-making. It will help modernise local authorities, leaving no one and no place behind,” he said.
The launch of the Citizen Engagement and Scoring Platform forms part of broader Government efforts to harness emerging technologies and digital innovation to improve service delivery, promote transparency and build more responsive public institutions.