Zimbabwe's telecoms regulator should be judged by whether people can get reliable, affordable internet, not by how many licences it issues or how much money it collects, ICT Minister Tatenda Mavetera has said.

Speaking at the 10th annual general meeting of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), Mavetera said the authority must "move from being a licensing authority to being a development regulator", The Herald reported. "The private sector will invest; Government will enable; Potraz must regulate for results," she said.

Targets, published every quarter

Mavetera asked Potraz to set clear targets for network coverage, quality of service, affordability and uptake, and to publish its progress every quarter. "Potraz must measure itself not only by licences issued or revenue collected, but by whether every Zimbabwean, rural or urban, can access reliable, affordable broadband," she said, according to The Herald.

She wants money from the Universal Service Fund, the levy-funded pot used to extend networks, aimed at schools, clinics, chiefs' courts, rural business centres and other underserved places, with attention to women, young people, people with disabilities and low-income households.

Five priorities

Vhayeya.com, which carried the speech in full, listed the minister's five priorities:

wider, affordable and better-quality connectivity;

tougher consumer protection, including closer monitoring of dropped calls, data speeds, outages and billing disputes, and publishing how each operator performs;

modern spectrum management and licensing, including preparing for wider 5G and opening the door to virtual mobile operators, satellite services and community networks;

innovation, postal reform and regional integration, including lower roaming costs through Zimbabwe's COMESA chairmanship;

data protection, cybersecurity and online safety.

On the last point, she named WhatsApp account hacking, identity theft, digital fraud and the integrity of SIM card registration as areas needing stronger oversight, Vhayeya reported. Potraz is also the country's data protection authority.

The minister also told operators to share towers and fibre to cut costs and speed up rural rollout, and to strengthen backup power and disaster preparedness in areas prone to cyclones and drought. Potraz was told to assign clear responsibilities and timelines and to send quarterly progress reports to the ministry.

Why it matters

For most Zimbabweans the internet is the phone in their pocket, and complaints about poor service and high data prices are common. Mavetera herself raised concern about complaints over customer service at mobile network operators. If Potraz does publish comparative operator performance and quarterly targets, customers would for the first time have a public scorecard to hold the networks, and the regulator, to.

The speech also ties into the government's wider digital plans. Mavetera recalled that President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy on 13 March 2026, and she called for responsible use of AI that keeps human judgement, accountability and privacy at the centre, Vhayeya reported. A Child Online Protection Policy was launched in July.

Changes to the Postal and Telecommunications Act are also under way, which could give the regulator stronger enforcement powers, depending on what Parliament finally passes.

Mavetera also praised Potraz and its Universal Service Fund for clean audits for 2025.

Sources: The Herald (Mthabisi Tshuma), 27 Oct 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/potraz-urged-to-become-a-development-regulator/ · Vhayeya.com (Caroline Washaya Moyo), 24 Oct 2026: https://www.thevhayeya.com/potraz-has-been-challenged-to-move-beyong%20caroline%20washaya%20moyo/

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