Gwanda South border communities face weak Zimbabwean network coverage, MP tells Parliament
By Staff Writer, Parliamentary Watch
Communities in Gwanda South may be relying on neighbouring countries’ mobile networks because Zimbabwean coverage is inadequate, an MP has told the National Assembly.
Speaking during Tuesday’s debate on telecommunications services, MP Mapiki said members of Parliament’s ICT Portfolio Committee had visited Gwanda South near the Botswana border and raised the coverage problem with local operators.
“Yet, when we visited Gwanda South, near the Botswana border, we observed that Botswana’s network coverage extended much further, reportedly up to 200 kilometres in some areas,” Mapiki said.
“In some border communities, Zimbabwean citizens may rely on networks from neighbouring countries because our own base stations are too distant or provide inadequate coverage,” he added.
Mapiki said operators had told the committee that some of their base stations and boosters had an effective range of about 25 kilometres. He called for equipment better suited to Zimbabwe’s terrain and for more effective use of the Universal Service Fund to expand coverage in underserved areas.
The Gwanda South example formed part of a wider parliamentary debate about the gap between urban and rural connectivity. MP Maoneke, who moved the motion, said urban centres including Bulawayo generally had stronger 4G coverage and expanding 5G services, while many rural communities continued to depend on weaker networks.
Other MPs called for infrastructure sharing and stronger requirements for operators to serve areas where building separate networks may be commercially unattractive. MP Nkala told the House that a child at a rural school should have the same opportunity to participate in the digital world as a child attending school in Harare or Bulawayo.
Deputy ICT Minister Dingumuzi Phuti undertook to bring Parliament a more comprehensive response to the issues raised. The House adopted the telecommunications motion, but the sitting recorded no specific commitment to new infrastructure in Gwanda South.
Community Podium is the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding NGO Reporting Award. This reflects our dedication to amplifying community voices and advancing public-interest journalism.
