By Staff Reporter
HARARE — Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services minister Tatenda Mavetera has ordered government departments under her ministry to document operational risks, strengthen internal controls and account for weaknesses in major projects as part of efforts to protect public resources.
Mavetera issued the deadlines on Monday when she opened an enterprise risk management workshop for ministry executives in Harare.
Departments must submit validated risk registers by November 6, identifying threats such as project delays, service disruptions and barriers to digital access.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Beaullah Chirume, must submit a reviewed risk management policy, a consolidated risk register and an implementation plan to Mavetera by November 20.
Mavetera also directed that every new major project proposal and significant resource commitment must include a documented risk assessment with immediate effect.
“Enterprise Risk Management strengthens our ability to deliver that contribution.
“It helps us identify what could delay a connectivity project, disrupt a public service, compromise information or waste public funds, and act before the damage occurs,” she said.
The minister said digital transformation required stronger safeguards against cyber threats, fraud, procurement weaknesses, financial pressures and service disruptions.
“Digital transformation requires both innovation and public trust. We must manage cyber threats, fraud, procurement weaknesses, financial pressures and service disruptions with the same determination that we bring to expanding access,” she said.
The consolidated draft risk management policy and implementation plan must be submitted to the Permanent Secretary by Friday, October 23, for further review and approval processes.
Departments must also review critical controls and business continuity arrangements by December 31, then submit plans to address identified weaknesses.
Mavetera said the ministry would require consolidated risk reports within 15 working days of each quarter’s end, beginning with the quarter ending December 31.
Reports must identify major risks, significant incidents and overdue corrective actions.
She said executives and heads of units would be responsible for risks within their departments, while risk champions would support implementation and Internal Audit would retain its independent oversight role.
The measures are intended to support Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2, which runs from 2026 to 2030 and seeks to advance the country’s ambition of becoming an upper middle-income society by 2030.
The ICT ministry oversees digital infrastructure, government ICT systems and information security, making reliable services and the protection of public information central to its work.
Mavetera said the workshop should produce practical improvements in planning, budgeting, project decisions and performance reviews.
She also called for suspected fraud and corruption to be reported and addressed through appropriate procedures, warning that risk management must encourage early reporting rather than conceal weaknesses.
The workshop is scheduled to close on October 23, when the ministry’s executives are expected to have completed the initial policy and implementation documents.
