Copy igh © Au ho (s) 2025. All Righ s Rese ed. Published by GLOBAL PUBLICATION HOUSE. | In . J. Social Science & Humani ies Resea ch
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN ZIMBABWE’S PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION: OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND
ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF E-GOVERNANCE
By:
Takudzwa Wayne Mhaka
Email: akudzwawayne[email p o ec ed]om
Annah Chiedza Hode a
Email: annahhode [email protected]
Abs ac
Zimbabwe's bold commi men o digi al e olu ion in public adminis a ion ma ks a game-
changing momen o e-go e nance, despi e ope a ing in a esou ce-poo con ex . This is a
mixed me hods s udy o he oppo uni ies, challenges and e hical implica ions o Zimbabwe's
ini ia i es (e.g. ZimConnec ) combining quan i a i e da a abou go e nance and access o
digi al echnologies wi h quali a i e, in e iews and documen analysis o bo h go e nmen
epo s and media. The indings highligh demons able imp o emen s in se ice deli e y in
public adminis a ion, bu hese a e es ained by long-s anding u ban- u al digi al di ides
and in as uc u e issues. The e hical ami ica ions o da a use and po en ial misuse,
especially in a poli ically sensi i e con ex , aise ques ions abou p o ocols and amewo ks.
The inno a i e ecommenda ions (e.g. sola -powe ed digi al hubs, o e sigh h ough
blockchain and a lab o digi al model ha is cul u ally e lexi e) sugges a iable and
equi able way o deli e ing go e nance. Will Zimbabwe be able o mobilize he ini ia i e o
le e age i s mobile-led cha ac e is ics o e hink he public adminis a ion? This s udy calls
o schola s and p ac i ione s o hink c i ically and c ea i ely abou possible a enues in
building a new kind o e hical e-go e nance o suppo public adminis a ion, es ablishing
Zimbabwe as a ligh house o u u e ans o med digi al de elopmen in he Global Sou h.
Keywo ds
E-go e nance, Digi al ans o ma ion, Public adminis a ion.
How o ci e: Mhaka, T., & Hode a, A. (2025). DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN ZIMBABWE’S PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION: OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF E-GOVERNANCE. GPH-
In e na ional Jou nal o Social Science and Humani ies Resea ch, 8(8), 87-103.
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17217518
Manusc ip ID: #02095
10.5281/zenodo.17217518
VOL. 08 ISSUE 08 Augus - 2025
E- 3050-9637
P- 2795-3222
Page 87 o 103
Mhaka, T., & Hode a, A. (2025). DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN ZIMBABWE’S PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:
OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF E-GOVERNANCE. GPH-In e na ional Jou nal o
Social Science and Humani ies Resea ch, 8(8), 87-103. h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17217518
© 2025 GLOBAL PUBLICATION HOUSE | In e na ional Jou nal o Social Science & Humani ies Resea ch
1. In oduc ion
Zimbabwe is a an u gen momen in he ques o mode n go e nance whe e digi al
ans o ma ion can al e he s a e o public adminis a ion in he ace o en enched socio-
economic challenges. E-go e nance - he use o in o ma ion and communica ion echnologies
(ICTs) o imp o e go e nmen se ice deli e y and ci izen pa icipa ion, (Uni ed Na ions,
2020) is gaining momen um in e na ionally, bu i s use in esou ce-cons ained coun ies like
Zimbabwe emains unexplo ed.
P og ams like ZimConnec and he Na ional ICT Policy show Zimbabwe has aspi a ions o
digi ize public se ices, educe ed ape, and inc ease anspa ency (Go e nmen o
Zimbabwe, 2019). Howe e , economic u moil, un eliable in as uc u e, and a legacy o
cen alized s a e powe pose signi ican ba ie s o hese aspi a ions. This s udy examines he
po en ial o e-go e nance o dis up public adminis a ion in Zimbabwe, conside ing he
possibili es i a o ds, he challenges i aces, and he e hical dilemmas i aises in a poli ically
sensi i e and esou ce cons ained con ex .
The u gency o his inqui y is la gely mo i a ed by wha is unique abou Zimbabwe. Digi al
pla o ms a e in e es ing o add essing se ice deli e y sho alls in a coun y wi h a mobile
pene a ion a e o o e 90% (ZimS a , 2023), speci ically in u ban a eas, wi h Ha a e being
he mos no iceable. Only 34% o u al esiden s ha e in e ne access (ZimS a , 2023), pu ing
hem a isk o being le behind in any echnological ad ancemen de i ed om he
a o emen ioned access, hus pe pe ua ing cu en inequali ies. Also, he inc easing use o
a i icial in elligence (AI) and da a-d i en ools in public adminis a ion p esen s e hical
issues like he po en ial o da a mishap, algo i hm bias, and scams, especially in a
con en ious poli ical se ing (Mu ungwe & Gumbo, 2021).
These dynamics aise c i ical ques ions:
Wha oppo uni ies does digi al ans o ma ion o e Zimbabwe’s public
adminis a ion?
Wha ba ie s impede he e ec i e implemen a ion o e-go e nance?
How do e hical conside a ions shape he adop ion o digi al ools in a esou ce-
cons ained and poli ically sensi i e con ex ?
This esea ch explo ed hese ques ions using a mixed me hods design, d awing on
quan i a i e da a on e-go e nance adop ion and quali a i e da a ia a documen analysis. A
case analysis o ZimConnec and e-se ices in he Minis y o Home A ai s illus a ed he
conc e e implica ions o digi al ans o ma ion in Zimbabwe. The pape con ibu es o he
body o li e a u e a ound e-go e nance by co e ing a gap in Zimbabwean s udies o e-
go e nance, and o e s c i ical his o ical de ails o i s implica ions in a de eloping coun y.
A e he in oduc ion, he li e a u e e iew syn hesizes he global and A ican schola ship on
e-go e nance, and he me hodology desc ibes he mixed me hods design.
The analysis hen p esen s indings unde h ee headings: oppo uni ies, challenges, and
e hical conside a ions, wi h subsequen discussion o policy implica ions and u u e esea ch
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Volume 8 Issue No 08 (2025) Access: h ps://gphjou nal.o g/index.php/ssh
di ec ions. The analysis b ings a en ion o Zimbabwe’s expe ience in o de o highligh he
po en ial o e-go e nance o igni e ans o ma i e p ocesses, while also ad oca ing
conside a ions, aming, and e hics o ensu e ha e-go e nance does indeed bene i ci izens
collec i ely.
2. Li e a u e Re iew
The widesp ead adop ion o digi al echnologies in public adminis a ion has p omp ed a
global emb ace o e-go e nance, o he use o in o ma ion and communica ion echnologies
(ICTs) o imp o e e iciency, anspa ency and ci izen engagemen in go e nmen (Uni ed
Na ions, 2020). Zimbabwe’s public adminis a ion aces economic ola ili y and bu eauc a ic
ine iciency. E-go e nance o e s a pa hway o mode nizing go e nance. Howe e ,
Zimbabwe's dis inc socio-poli ical, in as uc u al, and economic con ex s equi e
unde s anding e-go e nance as a digi ally media ed ans o ma ion.
In his li e a u e e iew, he a icle syn hesize he schola ship on e-go e nance, no ing he
oppo uni ies, challenges, and e hical p oblems, pa icula ly in a de eloping coun y con ex
and speci ically, Zimbabwe. I comple e his sec ion wi h a c i ical app aisal o schola ship a
he global, A ican and Zimbabwe le el so as o iden i y a clea gap in he esea ch: a
comp ehensi e Zimbabwe-con ex analysis o he implemen a ion o e-go e nance in a mixed
me hods manne and wi h an e hics o esea ch in o med by a esou ce cons ained
en i onmen .
E-go e nance e e s o he use o digi al se ices, including in online se ice pla o ms and
mobile applica ions ha suppo go e nmen -ci izen ela ions. E-go e nance i s wi hin New
Public Managemen (NPM) p inciples abou e iciency in se ice deli e y and ci izen-
cen e ed go e nance, and he Technology Accep ance Model (TAM) abou use accep ance
o echnology depending on pe cei ed use ulness and usabili y (Da is, 1989). In he case o
Zimbabwe, e-go e nance p og ams, like ZimConnec , a e mean o imp o e se ices such as
ax iling and passpo eques s (Go e nmen o Zimbabwe, 2019).
Digi al equi y, he idea ha all ci izens should ha e access o digi al se ices, is an impo an
concep o include, especially in places whe e he e is a ma ked u ban- u al di ide
(Mu ungwe & Gumbo, 2021). O he e hical conce ns o conside include da a p i acy and he
ai ness o algo i hms used o adminis e e-go e nance, since i emains impo an o
go e nance o balance e iciency and accoun abili y (Heeks, 2006). These concep s help
ame he discussion abou digi al ans o ma ion in Zimbabwe, aming discussions h ough
heo y and p ac ice.
2.1 Concep ual F amewo k
E-go e nance, as de ined by Bwalya & Mu ula (2014), ep esen s online access o se ices
by a go e nmen in e o s o connec ci izens wi h go e nmen . Go e nmen s employ e-
go e nance o p o ide in o ma ion and se ices h ough elec onic means; his could include
ci izen epo ing/complain s when social na iga ion in ol es police misconduc (sensi i e
in o ma ion) o o he pu pose o iling axes o applying o a passpo (less sensi i e
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Mhaka, T., & Hode a, A. (2025). DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN ZIMBABWE’S PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:
OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF E-GOVERNANCE. GPH-In e na ional Jou nal o
Social Science and Humani ies Resea ch, 8(8), 87-103. h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17217518
© 2025 GLOBAL PUBLICATION HOUSE | In e na ional Jou nal o Social Science & Humani ies Resea ch
in o ma ion). E-go e nance sha es simila i ies wi h New Public Managemen (NPM), which
emphasizes e iciency and engagemen , and aligns wi h he Technology Accep ance Model
(TAM) (Da is, 1989), which posi s ha use s accep echnology based on i s pe cei ed
use ulness and ease o use. In Zimbabwe, ZimConnec is an e-go e nance ini ia i e o
imp o e ou ine public se ices (Go e nmen o Zimbabwe, 2019).
A mo e expansi e concep ual amewo k is digi al equi y, o he ensu ing o all ci izens gain
access o e-ci izen se ices, as i is impo an and ele an in mul iple con ex s ha e idence
he u ban- u al di ide while add essing inequi ies aced by ma ginalized ci izens (Mu ungwe
& Gumbo, 2021). The e a e wide conside a ions in he execu ion o e-go e nance,
speci ically ela ed o da a p i acy and algo i hmic ai ness - which make e-go e nance
a ac i e o adop ion bu also e lec s ensions o he poli ical na u e o go e nmen s (Heeks,
2006). E-go e nance, digi al equi y (as a conside a ion o equali y o all), and e hical issues
(e.g., p i acy) will help o ame he analysis o Zimbabwe's digi al ans o ma ion by
es ablishing schola s in a wide heo e ical o p ac ical ame.
2.2 E-Go e nance in De eloping Na ions
In e na ional schola ship emphasizes he ans o ma i e po en ial o e-go e nance p og ams
in de eloping coun ies. Fo example, Es onia's e- esidency p og am illus a es how digi al
iden i ies ha e imp o ed se ice deli e y and enabled global in es men (Ma ge s &
Dunlea y, 2013). In A ica, Rwanda's I embo pla o m has digi ized o e one hund ed public
se ices, which has imp o ed access and educed co up ion in se ice deli e y (Mu uku &
Mahilu, 2020). Meanwhile, Kenya's Huduma Cen es’ se ice models illus a e how a hyb id
app oach o bo h physical and digi al se ice poin s can imp o e ci izen engagemen in he
se ice p ocess, e en hough digi al access in u al a eas emains limi ed (Ndemo, 2015).
In summa y, hese examples highligh key bene i s o e-go e nance se ice deli e y,
including imp o ed cos - anspa ency, and se ice deli e y. Howe e , obs acles emain,
including a signi ican digi al di ide, lack o in as uc u e, and a low le el o digi al li e acy.
Fo example, he in e ne pene a ion a e in sub-Saha a A ica in 2023 was only 39%
compa ed o he global a e age o 63% (ITU, 2023), implying ba ie s o he adop ion o e-
go e nance in se ice deli e y.
E-go e nance ini ia i es in Zimbabwe a e ea ly in de elopmen bu po en ial. Acco ding o
he Na ional ICT Policy, adop ed in 2016, he coun y is p io i izing he building o i s digi al
in as uc u e, and he ZimConnec ini ia i e aims o in eg a e basic public se ices such as
bi h egis a ion, ax paymen , e c. (Go e nmen o Zimbabwe, 2019). Se e al s udies
highligh ha Zimbabwe’s high mobile phone pene a ion (90%, acco ding o ZimS a , 2023)
p o ides a ounda ion o mobile-based e-go e nance, e idenced by EcoCash as an example
o a o malized paymen ool (Munyo o & Muposhi, 2019).
Howe e , e-go e nance in Zimbabwe may ace simila challenges o in e ne access and
bu eauc a ic ine ia iden i ied in o he A ican coun ies. Speci ically, al hough only 34% o
he popula ion in u al a eas has access o he in e ne (ZimS a , 2023), in e ne access ou side
u ban a eas is limi ed o in as uc u e, equen elec ici y ou ages and limi ed b oadband
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Volume 8 Issue No 08 (2025) Access: h ps://gphjou nal.o g/index.php/ssh
co e age. Public unding o enewable esou ces in de eloping coun ies, including
Zimbabwe, aces signi ican challenges due o limi ed esou ces and Wes e n pushback
(Chigudu, 2020). These s udies o e a baseline bu he indings lacked dep h in analyzing
Zimbabwe’s unique con ex ; namely he combina ion o high hype in la ion, sanc ions
agains he go e nmen , and he al eady iden i ied lack o esou ces exace ba e challenges.
2.3 E hical Implica ions o E-Go e nance
The e hical aspec s o e-go e nance emain an eme ging a ea o esea ch. Access o ci izen
da a is a majo e hical issue gi en he quan i y o da a ha go e nmen s collec o p o ide
digi al se ices (Zubo , 2019). In poli ically sensi i e con ex s, like Zimbabwe, issues o
su eillance, une hical use o da a, and powe asymme ies a e inc eased (Mu ungwe &
Gumbo, 2021). Algo i hmic bias, which occu s when au oma ed sys ems, like AI,
unin en ionally pe pe ua e inequali ies, is ano he impo an e hical conce n. Fo example,
esou ce alloca ion based on AI could disp opo iona ely impac ma ginalized popula ions i
i is no designed in an equi able and us wo hy manne (O’Neil, 2016).
T anspa ency and accoun abili y p ocesses a e impo an o p oac i ely add ess hese e hical
challenges, bu hese p ocesses a e equen ly unde eloped in esou ce cons ained
en i onmen s (Heeks, 2006). A ican s udies ha look a e-go e nance sys ems based in
Sou h A ica, o example, iden i y a need o e hical dimensions in us and ai ness o e-
go e nance sys ems o wo k (Twinomu inzi e al., 2017). Howe e , he e is limi ed
Zimbabwe speci ic esea ch on hese e hical dimensions; his is a limi a ion o unde s anding
how he poli ical con ex (and he poli ical ac o s) con ibu es o he e-go e nance ou comes
and wha ma e s o ci ics.
2.4 Resea ch Gaps
Despi e he abundance o esea ch a ailable, essen ial gaps s ill exis . Fi s ly, while global
and A ican esea ch s udies p o ide insigh s and unde s anding, speci ic esea ch in a
Zimbabwean con ex is minimal as much o he ocus o s udies a e on policy ames a he
han implemen a ion as ou comes (Chigudu, 2020). Fo ins ance, s udies speaking o se ice
deli e y o ZimConnec , a ecen e-go e nance ini ia i e designed o imp o e se ice
deli e y, a e ew, and s udies examining bo h he me ics o adop ion o he pla o m in a
quan i a i e way, as well as he pe spec i es o ci izens and o he s akeholde s in a quali a i e
way, a e comple ely absen .
Secondly, he e hics o e-go e nance emain an eme ging a ea o esea ch, especially as hey
conce n he isks o da a misuse in a poli ically uns able coun y like Zimbabwe. While some
s udies men ion conce ns o p i acy, he e a e no empi ical s udies on how ha conce ns
play in o building, o b eaking down, ci izens’ us s in e-go e nance oppo uni ies, such as
ZimConnec (Mu ungwe & Gumbo, 2021).
Thi dly, mixed me hodological esea ch ha combines quan i a i e da a such as in e ne
pene a ion a es, wi h quali a i e da a om adminis a o s o om ci izens ega ding hei
expe iences, a e scan and comple ely lacking in a way ha cap u es Zimbabwe's complex
Page No. 91
Mhaka, T., & Hode a, A. (2025). DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN ZIMBABWE’S PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:
OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF E-GOVERNANCE. GPH-In e na ional Jou nal o
Social Science and Humani ies Resea ch, 8(8), 87-103. h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17217518
© 2025 GLOBAL PUBLICATION HOUSE | In e na ional Jou nal o Social Science & Humani ies Resea ch
eali ies. Finally, compa isons wi h o he A ican coun ies such as Rwanda o Kenya a e
lacking, whe e oppo uni ies o con ex ualize Zimbabwe's p og ess owa ds e-go e nance
may imp o e he o e all unde s anding. This s udy will ill hese gaps h ough a mixed
me hods case s udy on e-go e nance in Zimbabwe as an oppo uni y, i s challenges, and he
e hical issues in a esou ce-cons ained, poli ically sensi i e si ua ion.
This e iew unde sco es he need o a Zimbabwe-speci ic inqui y ha in eg a es heo e ical
and p ac ical insigh s. I in eg a es in e na ional, A ican, and Zimbabwean li e a u e o
es ablish a basis o examine how digi al ans o ma ion migh a ec public adminis a ion in
Zimbabwe, while emphasizing he need o conside e hics and in as uc u e.
3. Me hodology
To in es iga e he oppo uni ies, challenges, and e hical implica ions o digi al ans o ma ion
in Zimbabwe's public adminis a ion, his s udy employed a mixed me hods esea ch design
o p o ide a holis ic and nuanced unde s anding o e-go e nance in Zimbabwe’s esou ce-
cons ained en i onmen . The mixed me hods app oach allowed o bo h quan i a i e da a on
e-go e nance adop ion and quali a i e da a on s akeholde pe spec i es based on in e iews
and documen analysis.
This s udy's design is ap o Zimbabwe's socio-poli ical and economic con ex (C eswell &
Plano Cla k, 2018). The me hodology concen a es on he ZimConnec pla o m in
Zimbabwe and e-se ices o e ed by he Minis y o Home A ai s as a speci ic analysis case.
This sec ion desc ibes he esea ch design, da a collec ion me hods, da a analysis me hods,
and limi a ions o p o ide an app op ia e amewo k o answe he esea ch ques ions.
The quan i a i e po ion elied on in o ma ion ob ained om ecognizably epu able and
es ablished sou ces, such as he Ib ahim Index o A ican Go e nance (IIAG), Zimbabwe
Na ional S a is ics Agency (ZimS a ) epo s, he Minis y o In o ma ion and
Communica ion Technology, and he Wo ld Bank da ase s on digi al in as uc u e (ZimS a ,
2023; Wo ld Bank, 2023). To cla i y, some indica o s o digi al in as uc u e include in e ne
pene a ion le els (34% in u al communi ies, 65% in u ban se lemen s), e-se ice u iliza ion
(e.g., online ax iling o passpo applica ion), and in es men le els in ICT.
The quan i a i e da a was analyzed using desc ip i e s a is ics, such as equency
dis ibu ions and co ela ions, o examine ela ionships be ween digi al in as uc u e
a ailabili y and e-se ice adop ion le els. O e all, his quan i a i e componen p o ided a
measu able baseline ha e lec ed he ex en o e-go e nance adop ion in Zimbabwe and
s uc u al cons ain s he e-go e nance and e-se ice a e likely o ace.
As a supplemen o quan i a i e aspec s, a quali a i e elemen consis ed o semi-s uc u ed
in e iews wi h 12–15 key s akeholde s (public adminis a o s, ICT o icials, and ci izens)
om Ha a e and u al Ma abeleland. The semi-s uc u ed in e iews we e conduc ed ei he
ace- o- ace o i ually ia mobile pla o ms o accommoda e pa icipan s, pa icula ly in
u al a eas, who aced ba ie s o pa icipa ing in adi ional quali a i e esea ch se ings. The
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Volume 8 Issue No 08 (2025) Access: h ps://gphjou nal.o g/index.php/ssh
in e iews explo ed s akeholde s’ pe cep ions o e-go e nance bene i s (e.g., imp o ed
se ice e iciency), challenges (e.g., digi al di ides), and e hical issues (e.g., da a p i acy).
Wi h a pu posi e sampling app oach, he in e iews examined di e en iews on e-
go e nance and cap u e u ban- u al di e ences along wi h di e ences in he le els o
adminis a i e au onomy o public o icials (Pa on, 2015). Thema ic analysis was be used o
code o hemes, using B aun and Cla ke’s (2006) quali a i e amewo k, ha eme ge om
he in e iews such as us in digi al sys ems o bu eauc a ic esis ance, and hese hemes can
p o ide u he con ex and dep h o he quan i a i e da a collec ion.
The ZimConnec pla o m, which is a majo componen o Zimbabwe's e-go e nance
ini ia i e, is he p ima y case used, along wi h e-se ices in he Minis y o Home A ai s like
he issuance o a digi al passpo . This s udy employed da a iangula ion (go e nmen
epo s, s a is ical da ase s, and in e iews) o enhance i s alidi y (Yin, 2014). Limi a ions
include po en ial bias o sel - epo ed in e iew da a and ailu e o access eal- ime e-
go e nance me ics because necessa y da a epo ing does no exis in Zimbabwe. Despi e
da a limi a ions, he mixed me hods s udy design is likely o yield deep, obus , and
con ex ual insigh s, essen ial o unde s anding e-go e nance in Zimbabwe.
4. Analysis and Findings
Fig.1 Access o In e ne and Compu e s s Quali y o Public Adminis a ion
This sec ion p esen s he empi ical esul s om he mixed me hods analysis, u ilizing
quan i a i e da a om he Ib ahim Index o A ican Go e nance (IIAG) co e ing he yea s
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Chang
e '14-
'23
In e ne & Compu e s 20.4 18.2 19.4 21.2 28.2 34.1 39.1 40.7 41.8 33.7 13.3
Quali y o Public Adminis a ion 36.1 40.3 38.9 38.9 38.9 47.9 48.6 58.3 59 59.7 23.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Access o In e ne and Compu e s s
Quali y o Public Admins a ion in
Zimbabwe 2014-2023
In e ne & Compu e s Quali y o Public Adminis a ion
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Mhaka, T., & Hode a, A. (2025). DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN ZIMBABWE’S PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:
OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF E-GOVERNANCE. GPH-In e na ional Jou nal o
Social Science and Humani ies Resea ch, 8(8), 87-103. h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17217518
© 2025 GLOBAL PUBLICATION HOUSE | In e na ional Jou nal o Social Science & Humani ies Resea ch
2014-2023, in combina ion wi h quali a i e da a om semi-s uc u ed in e iews, as well as
seconda y da a om sou ces, such as go e nmen epo s and esea ch a icles. The IIAG
quan i a i e da a shows signi ican p og ess in Zimbabwe’s public sec o , pa icula ly in he
Quali y o Public Adminis a ion domain, which ose om 36.1 in 2014 o 59.7 in 2023
(+23.6), e lec ing enhanced e iciency and esponsi eness o ci izens (Mo Ib ahim
Founda ion, 2024).
The IIAG a es o he In e ne & Compu e s indica o showed g ow h om 20.4 o 33.7
(+13.3) o e he same ime span, sugges ing inc emen al imp o emen s in digi al
in as uc u e in spi e o economic ha dships (Mo Ib ahim Founda ion, 2024). Al hough hese
sco es s ill lag behind neighbo ing coun ies, bo h he IIAG sco es and s akeholde in e iews
illumina e he demons able impac s o e-go e nance ini ia i es, such as ZimConnec .
Fu he mo e, in e iews wi h 14 pa icipan s—se en public adminis a o s and se en ci izens
om Ha a e and u al Ma abeleland—p o ided addi ional insigh s in o he ends ou lined in
he IIAG indings— he s akeholde s con eyed a s ong le el o consensus ega ding he
po en ial u ili y o using digi al ools o he p o ision o public se ices, i no o he
une enness o implemen a ion. The indings om he in e iews a e p esen ed in h ee
sec ions keyed o he hemes iden i ied du ing he da a analysis: oppo uni ies o digi al
ans o ma ion, challenges o ansi ioning o an e-go e nance model wi hin he public
adminis a ion con ex , and associa ed e hical ami ica ions.
4.1 Theme 1: Oppo uni ies o Digi al T ans o ma ion in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe's digi al ans o ma ion in public adminis a ion has opened up many
oppo uni ies, especially in imp o ing e iciency in se ice deli e y and engaging wi h
ci izens, as shown by he s eadily imp o ing Quali y o Public Adminis a ion sco e. Quali y
o Public Adminis a ion imp o ed om 36.1 in 2014 o 47.9 in 2019, hen mo e quickly
inc eased du ing he COVID-19 pandemic o he 58.3 eco ded in 2021, and is now eliably
sco ed a 59.7 in 2023 (Mo Ib ahim Founda ion, 2024). This +23.6-poin inc ease in Quali y
o Public Adminis a ion is di ec ly ela ed o he in oduc ion o e-go e nance pla o ms
such as ZimConnec ha ha e digi ised se ices like ax paymen s and bi h egis a ions,
which ha e imp o ed p e ious se ice deli e y imes om weeks o a ma e o days.
ZimS a da a (2023) p o ides quan i a i e e idence o a +25% inc ease in e-se ice
engagemen in u ban a eas o Zimbabwe be ween 2020 and 2023, which is in acco dance
wi h he IIAG public adminis a ion imp o emen indica o . Fo example, in Ha a e, online
passpo applica ions we e eco ded a o e 50,000 in 2022, acco ding o he Minis y o
Home A ai s, illus a ing how a p ope go e nmen se ice deli e y pla o m can educe
bu eauc a ic hu dles.
how digi al ools p omo e da a-d i en decision-making; one senio ICT o icial in Ha a e
sha ed, "ZimConnec has comple ely changed how we alloca e esou ces o d ough elie .
We can now ack whe e esou ces a e, in eal ime, which we could no ha e done unde
pape sys ems." This suppo s indings om ecen s udies showing how digi aliza ion made
adminis a i e asks mo e e icien in Zimbabwe’s public sec o as esou ces we e used mo e
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Volume 8 Issue No 08 (2025) Access: h ps://gphjou nal.o g/index.php/ssh
e icien ly and se ice deli e y was quicke (Chikukwa & Mupindu, 2024). U ban ci izens
exp essed simila en husiasm, o example, when e lec ing on mobile-based ax iling.
One Ha a e-based esponden indica ed i was "a game-change , sa ing me hou s o
queuing." These esponses we e also e iden in he IIAG's In e ne & Compu e s sco e which
changed om 28.2 in 2018 o 41.8 in 2022 due o inc eased mobile pene a ion o o e 90%
in Zimbabwe (ZimS a , 2023). This +13.3-poin inc ease in he me ic is la gely a ibu ed o
in es men s in a o dable da a bundles and digi al pla o ms like EcoCash, which enabled
low-cos en y poin s o ci izens o access he in e ne , e en in semi-u ban a eas.
E-go e nance no only leads o imp o emen s in e iciency bu also enables ci izen
engagemen and economic inclusion. The ise in he Quali y o Public Adminis a ion sco e
o 59.7 pos -2020 co esponds o ini ia i es such as he Na ional ICT Policy's ocus on
pa icipa o y digi al pla o ms, enabling ci izens o p o ide eedback abou se ices ia apps
(Go e nmen o Zimbabwe, 2019).
The esul s o he hema ic analysis o he in e iews indica ed ecu ing hemes o
empowe men , and while u al esponden s poin ed o limi a ions in access, hey app ecia ed
he pilo p og ams in ol ing SMS ale s o ag icul u al subsidies, no ing, "I eels like
go e nmen is close now." Schola ly assessmen s suppo his assessmen , no ing ha
Zimbabwe's digi al ans o ma ion inc eased public se ice deli e y by p o iding
anspa ency and educing oppo uni ies o co up ion in p ocu emen (Zinyama & Nhema,
2024). Fo ins ance, in connec ion wi h ZimConnec 's blockchain-based acking o ende s,
he p og am has iden i ied ins ances o i egula i ies, and he sco e has s abilized in he
adminis a ion quali y a 59–59.7 o he yea s 2021 o 2023.
Addi ionally, hese oppo uni ies encompass he de elopmen o wo k o ce capaci y. The
p og am adminis a o s in e iewed c edi ed hese ee digi al aining p og ams—pa ly
unded by in e na ional pa ne s—wi h imp o ed p oduc i i y; one o icial no ed ha a e
he aining, he numbe o e o s made in manual en y had d opped by 30%. This pa e n o
digi al aining co esponds wi h da a om he IIAG, in which he In e ne & Compu e s
indica o ose om a sco e o 34.1 in 2019 o 40.7 in 2021; bo h ad ances can be explained
by new ini ia i es o inc ease ICT li e acy (Mo Ib ahim Founda ion, 2024).
Recen e en s, such as he U.S. Embassy's 2025 inno a ion summi , poin o he digi al u u e
o Zimbabwe as a new oppo uni y; e-go e nance, in pa icula , is expec ed o acili a e
economic eco e y (U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe, 2025). O e all, all he da a and all he
accoun s ag ee ha digi al ans o ma ion is mo e han jus some posi i e changes, bu ha i
is a igge o esilien public adminis a ion. The simul aneous inc eases o +23.6 poin s in
quali y sco es show a shi owa d ci izen-o ien ed go e nance and possibly a la ge pa adigm
shi o come.
4.2 Theme 2: Challenges o E-Go e nance in Zimbabwe
Al hough he e ha e been posi i e de elopmen s, e-go e nance in Zimbabwe con inues o
ace deep challenges, as e idenced by changes in he IIAG indica o s and con inuing de ici s
in in as uc u e. The Quali y o Public Adminis a ion indica o demons a es a gene al
upwa d end, ye sco es ho e ed a 38.9 om 2016 o 2018, sugges ing ha incumben s
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OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF E-GOVERNANCE. GPH-In e na ional Jou nal o
Social Science and Humani ies Resea ch, 8(8), 87-103. h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17217518
© 2025 GLOBAL PUBLICATION HOUSE | In e na ional Jou nal o Social Science & Humani ies Resea ch
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