Faith Ndou
GUTU-Residents of Gutu South have welcomed the establishment of an Information Centre at Maungwa Business Centre.
The residents described the information centre as a life changing development that is set to improve access to information and enhancing education opportunities for their children.
The centre, established by Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) officially opened last December after nearly four years of delayed completion due to financial constraints.
Located at the Gutu South Convergence Centre at Maungwa Business Centre, the facility has been fully subscribed since its opening with both young and old residents flocking to access free internet services. Visiting hours are flexible, allowing community members ample time to benefit from the facility.
Residents praised the Government for fulfilling its promise of ensuring that no one and no place is left behind in national development and access to information and the centre has brought relief to hundreds of pupils who now use the free internet service for research and academic work.
When Rural Communication Services visited the centre last Friday, the room was filled with youths and adult women browsing the internet for various purposes.
Virginia Mujohaniswa expressed gratitude for the initiative saying the community is now connected to the rest of the world.
“We are now moving along with the rest of the global village through the Information Superhighway. As farmers, our activities are now guided by access to daily local weather forecasts and crop guide information. We are always abreast of current affairs both locally and internationally,” she said.
“We are being taught basic computer knowledge by the patient worker at the centre. He does not limit visiting time, especially for school and college students who sometimes spend the whole day here doing research,” she added.
Lewis Manyande (21) said the centre has bridged a long standing digital gap in rural areas.
“The centre has come as a great relief to rural youths who have been left behind in terms of information and knowledge due to lack of technological gadgets and data. We are allowed daylong free access, except during break and lunch times,” he said.
A worker at the centre noted that although the facility is yet to be officially commissioned by the Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, services have already commenced using the few available computers while they await full furnishing.
“We have started offering services to the community with the few computers available as we wait for full furnishing. Even though chairs are not yet available, visitors are happily sitting on the floor to access the service,” the worker said.
The centre records an average of 30 visits per day. The Maungwa Information Centre becomes Gutu’s third such facility after Mupandawana which serves Gutu Central and Chatsworth which serves Gutu West. Gutu East is yet to have its own centre.
Residents in Gutu East have called for the completion of the long stalled ZIMPOST building project, saying its completion would pave the way for the establishment of an Information Centre in the district’s most remote area.
