Graduation time….Data Protection Officers
By Wallace Mawire
The number of a new generation of data privacy guardians is increasing in Zimbabwe, bringing the total number of certified Data Protection Officers (DPO) in the country to 871,according to Dr Gift Machengete, Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) Director -General.
Speaking on the occasion of the fifth DPO graduation ceremony in Harare on 27 August, 2025, Dr Machengete said the 170 students who graduated on the occasion have joined a distinguished community of 701 alumni.
Dr Machengete said the graduation signifies progress, signaling the formation of a critical mass of professionals ready to shape ethical data governance across government, business, NGOs, startups and multinational companies.
He went on to identify the DPOs as the bridge between innovation and ethics, ensuring that progress does not come at the cost of privacy. Machengete said the DPO course has become a flagship programme in the country Championing the protection of data and privacy. He said the programme began in April 2024 with a pioneering class of 30 students and has since grown into a regional movement.
POTRAZ has partnered with the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) to train DPOs over a two week intensive programme being enrolled for by applicants from various sectors. Vice Chancellor of HIT, Professor Engineer Quinton Kanhukamwe said the increase in the number of trained DPOs in the country reflects the partners’ collective efforts to create a safer environment that promotes human dignity as enshrined in the constitution of the country, building confidence and trust in secure use of information and communication technologies by data controllers, their representatives and data subjects.
Professor Engineer Kanhukamwe said the initiative will foster a technology enabled environment. He also said the course will help to equip the officers with critical competencies to execute data protection practice.