11 Oct 2020

Government views information communication technology (ICT) as a critical component towards achieving National Vision 2036 developmental aspirations and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

  Officially launching the Gabz City Free Wi-Fi programme in Gaborone on October 9, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said the view was evidenced by the free internet connectivity initiative.

He said ensuring greater accessibility to online connectivity underlined government acknowledgement of the importance of ICT in development.

“In the globalized world that we live in, ICT more than ever before has become a critical tool for the development of any nation.  ICT enhances productivity in all sectors of the economy and as such has become a critical requirement for advancing our national development agenda,” Dr Masisi said.

The programme, initiated by Gaborone City Council in partnership with Botswana Fibre Networks Limited (BOFINET), entails providing free Wi-fi to the public at designated zones in the capital. 

Each user is entitled to one hour free access to the internet per day at places where the programme is being piloted including Main Mall, Parliament Gardens, BBS Mall, Airport Junction, Riverwalk, Molapo Crossing and Westgate Mall.

The programme, he said, underlined the country’s commitment to fully partake in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Dr Masisi said the initiative would enable Batswana to utilise internet services and further contribute to ensuring that everyone had access to technology as envisioned in the Vision 2036 ideal of transforming into a knowledge-based economy and the SDGs’ objective of ensuing no one was left behind.

He said government was committed to automation of services such as payment of old age pensions, rates and other local charges and levies, utility bills, fines as well as e-health, e-education and forms of  e-commerce.

Gaborone mayor, Mr Father Maphongo thanked BOFINET for collaborating in ensuring that some of the capital’s important public places offered free internet.

 He urged other councils across the country to pursue similar initiatives.

Mayor Maphongo said his municipality was working on ensuring that more modern developments were undertaken including assisting the Special Economic Zones Agency (SEZA) in its plans to turn Sir Seretse Khama Airport and fairgrounds into specialised commercial areas. ends