Harare – In a major policy move to counter the rising tide of artificial intelligence-driven cybercrime, the Zimbabwean government has approved the National AI Charter, a foundational step towards creating a legal framework for the safe adoption of AI technologies, a cabinet minister has announced.

Addressing a virtual cybersecurity summit on October 21, Tatenda Mavetera, the Minister of ICT and Courier Services, revealed that the Cabinet Committee on National Development approved the charter on the morning of the event.

“I’m glad today cabinet’s Committee on National Development approved our National AI charter, so this already is a step in the right direction for us as a government,” Mavetera said.

The charter aims to provide regulations, ethical considerations, and governance frameworks for AI adoption in the country.

The minister’s address, themed “AI versus AI: The Battlefield of Cyber Fraud,” highlighted the escalating threat posed by criminals using artificial intelligence to impersonate individuals, compromise digital identities, and defraud citizens and institutions. She warned of the dangers of deepfakes, cloned voices, and manipulated videos being used to issue fraudulent instructions.

“AI summit confirmed at a time when artificial intelligence is transforming our economies, institutions and daily lives. For Zimbabwe this transformation offers opportunities… yet criminals are exploiting the same technologies,” Mavetera stated.

She detailed specific vulnerabilities across key economic sectors, including a recent incident involving a targeted WhatsApp hacking attempt aimed at accessing financial accounts. She also cited fraudulent platforms defrauding students and parents in the education sector and the risk of compromised systems in the mining industry.

To counter these threats, the minister outlined a five-point plan for participants, emphasizing strengthened cooperation on threat intelligence, improved institutional readiness, enhanced security for digital identities and payments, investment in local tech skills, and a focus on public education.

The government’s strategy also includes the imminent launch of a “Penguin AI” project before December, which will create local datasets to ensure AI systems are aligned with Zimbabwe’s cultural and ethical contexts. A National Regulatory Digital Committee is also being formed, with members already selected and undergoing security checks.

The minister stressed that cybersecurity is a shared national responsibility and a prerequisite for building trust in the digital economy.

“Digital transformation depends on Trust. Citizens must Trust digital payments, businesses must Trust commission institutions, students must Trust institutional communication,” she said, adding that “security, accountability and the protection of personal information must be built into that transformation from the outset.”

The ultimate goal, Mavetera announced, is to enact a comprehensive AI Act by the end of next year.

“We have a policy, we have a Charter but we need to have [a law]… so that at least by the end of next year we have an AI act,” she said.