The Zimbabwean government, through the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, has donated 250 Starlink kits to the Ministry of Local Government.
This is part of that drive to bring internet access to underserved communities, areas where fibre and mobile network coverage have failed to reach or simply aren’t viable.
This is not the first time we’re seeing government involvement in Starlink deployment. Earlier this year, the same ministry was involved in Starlink installations under the Presidential Internet Scheme, with free WiFi hotspots popping up in public places like post offices and community halls.
But with this latest donation, the kits are not going to schools or health centres this time. They’re going to local authorities, essentially councils.
Why Starlink?
Starlink, thanks to its satellites, doesn’t need ground infrastructure like fibre or towers. That makes it perfect for Zimbabwe, where rolling out traditional infrastructure is both expensive and slow.
Some communities are still waiting for Liquid or TelOne to show up with connectivity years after asking.
In that context, Starlink is a cheat code. Once the kit is delivered, all that’s needed is a clear view of the sky and a power source. Speeds can match or exceed what urban fibre users enjoy.
So the logic behind deploying these kits to councils, some of which operate in remote or rural areas, is sound. But that’s only part of the story.
The handover is the easy part
Yes, the ICT Ministry handed over the kits. But the responsibility to deploy, manage, maintain, and secure them now falls on local authorities.
And we all know the track record of Zimbabwean councils, often mismanaged.
So while the kits themselves are plug-and-play, what happens next determines whether this is a game changer or just another nice headline.
Let’s be honest, 250 Starlink kits sitting in council storage rooms, uninstalled because there’s no solar system or no one knows what to do with them, would not surprise anyone. Nor would hearing that some kits have “disappeared.”
So what now?
Zimbabwe now has official recognition of Starlink as a proper connectivity option, and the government is doubling down. That’s good news.
These 250 kits, if deployed correctly, could change how councils operate. We’re talking real-time communication, digitised records, online payment portals, and more efficient service delivery.
But as always in Zimbabwe, hardware is never the issue. It’s the systems, people, and accountability stuff around that hardware that make or break the effort.
So yes, bravo to the ICT Ministry for making the kits available.
Now the real work begins.
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