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Embarrassment: Zim’s New ICT Minister Being Interviewed About AI

On Friday when I saw that the former Deputy Minister of ICT, Jenfan Muswere had been promoted to become ICT Minister my heart sank. I sat through two speeches by the guy when he was still deputy minister and I was left wondering why he had this position. One of those speeches was a vote of thanks mind you!

His promotion to head up this crucial ministry clearly tells that President ED doesn’t know the importance of technology or that he doesn’t care or both. Muswere should not be anywhere near his position.

Here is a video of Muswere being interviewed about AI at the AI for Good Conference in Geneva. It will make you look for a rock to crawl under… What did we ever do to deserve this?

Why on earth was this guy at this conference? Why was he making speeches? Why was he giving interviews?


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50 thoughts on “Embarrassment: Zim’s New ICT Minister Being Interviewed About AI

  1. Well I don’t see where the minister failed in this interview. Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines to fight human problems like hunger and food shortage. Exactly what he said at policy level. There is different knowledge requirement at expert and policy level

    1. Oh yes policy has to be somewhat generic but what did the minister say though? Tell me what policy he mentioned. This is particularly disturbing because these were not ambush questions: he was at an AI conference, he had given a speech at said conference. He should have been prepared for those simple questions

      1. Problem is these people are just being given these positions when they are out of depth regarding the field. Are there no ICT fundis who could be deputy ministers in Zim to articulate those issues properly. We are trying to sell this and all we can say is “Zimbabwe is open for business”, is that it?

    2. Me too, I guess he’s not a scholar in these things why should he be asked questions like a student.

      Definitions, really?

      1. I disagree with you there. If you listen carefully to the interviewers questions, his flow was to establish what AI means to Zimbabwe and what government policy on it would harness its advantages for development. He actually had to regress back to definitions so he could then get to a baseline understanding level – which didn’t exist – so the interview ended. The Deputy Minister (now Minister) had given (read) a speech at the conference so there was hope that he knew the subject matter.

    3. He failed to answer all the questions… From the 1st one he was asked about AI he talked about ICT. Jenfan is this you commenting in disguise? Lol

    4. Iwe, this guys level of knowledge ends at knowing the that AI stands for Artificial Inteligence period. I was actually worried he had no idea what that was. As the person leading the country in this space he should be at an expert level or atleast be able to articulate what Zim is doing about AI and what we are looking to gain from its use to better our policies and econony etc.

    5. He had been told before the interview that AI refers to artificial insemination and so was caught, so to speak, off guard!

  2. Werner Herzog : I felt despair so terrible that I briefly consider slitting my own wrists, or bludgeoning myself about the head with a steel pipe or baseball bat. But I brought no blade, no pipe, no bat.

    1. That was not the best but for a newly appointed deputy minister.The measure of intelligence is not articulating and saying more jargon.Well tried my bro .

  3. After listerning to e video. I see nothing bad abt the interview. He was himself and he said e benefits of AI regarding to Zim. The editor pliz be nutral & let the audience judge.

  4. Kkkkkk he is avoiding A.I part cause he doesn’t know what it means.He thinks it means ALL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES.

  5. Problem is these people are just being given these positions when they are out of depth regarding the field. Are there no ICT fundis who could be deputy ministers in Zim to articulate those issues properly. We are trying to sell this and all we can say is “Zimbabwe is open for business”, is that it?

  6. I don’t hear anything embarrassing in that interview. Zimbabweans are we supposed to criticize everything come on guys something has seriously gone wrong in our people’s minds.

  7. Zim doesn’t need such lofty visions, the interviewer was polite enough. This dense brother wouldn’t recognize a 2030 vision if it came up to bite him in the posterior.

    Just focus on getting clean water and electricity to your people before you can talk about AI. Your vision should be what others have taken for granted and consider these things utilities and not amenities. Because quiet frankly, basic needs are amenities in Zimbabwe.

    The nation is already teetering in an unprecedented economic crisis and humanitarian meltdown. The last thing they need is a moron talking garbage about 2030 erroneous visions.

    All the best with the promised economic recovery with such fools at the helm.

  8. Just stop already and fix the broken infrastructure. And some of your are focused on whether he mailed the definition or not. It is far from that. When you appear at these events you are on a global stage and can not afford to BS your way around smart people. This is not your ZANU-pf platform Buttercup.

    Here is a sample of what this perceived genius could have said and save face.

    “AI can come later, but to attract investors, fixing our broken infrastructure has to be top priority. As such, AI will be considered on a very small scale in comparison to our neighbor South Africa . We need to get our folks back to work.”

    “Zimbabwe is open for business “ was the main theme of the inaugural address in case you forgot. Unless that was just another empty speech and has been trashed and forgotten about.

  9. I think minisita just lacked political eloquence which is a farce anyways he didn’t do anything bad and he wasn’t far off. Hate zanu to the core but also hate un necessary critics. Akataura key notes of AI as he understands it will affect ma zimbo, remember he is not PR for tech giants.

  10. It’s so pathetic that Doctorate degrees are no longer awarded on merit but on who you know. This marks further destruction to our already ailing economy. Where are we heading as a nation?

  11. wtf… zimbabwe is officially sh*tsburg!

    Mugabe fcked up so bad that even the stupidest idiot can now just be made minister. How did we allow this to happen to our beloved nation. Troll all you want but ed and his minions are clueless and are ruining this country!

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