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Zimbabwe is in the process of developing new medical research legislation aimed at modernizing its approach to health research. This initiative seeks to address concerns such as outdated laws, lack of data transparency, and dependence on foreign funding. By fostering local research initiatives and collaborations between academia and industry, Zimbabwe aims to enhance its capacity for medical research and innovation, aligning with national priorities and advancing towards its Vision 2030 goals.

A new study highlights the necessity of training Research Ethics Committees (RECs) in Sub-Saharan Africa to manage the ethical and legal complexities inherent in data-intense research, particularly concerning data protection and sharing. Findings reveal a lack of awareness among REC members regarding existing laws at the national level, possibly resulting in research data crossing borders without appropriate agreements or permits. Establishing transparent and standardized data governance could foster shared ethical values and ensure responsible big data research practices across the subcontinent.

Cameroon’s Minister of Higher Education revealed that the private American University in Central Africa, recruiting students for its programmes is a clandestine university. In 2020, the Minister ordered the African Regional Training Centre for Labour Administration, the Pan African Institute for Development and the Bamenda University Institute of Science and Technology to desist from awarding Bachelor’s degrees and suspend all Master's and Doctorate programmes for non-compliance with the conditions of the accreditation granted to them.

In 2018 the Higher Education, Science and Innovation Department had successfully prosecuted 40 fake institutes. However, by the end of 2021, the number of institutions offering fake bachelor’s and doctoral degrees has increased. During an awareness campaign on bogus colleges, officials will address the dissemination of information related to these higher education organisations.

To prevent the forging of information, a new digital platform will allow learners from primary to university levels to have an identification number. Schools will update data about their learners, teaching and non-teaching staff, infrastructure and facilities including physical education and sports through their online EMIS user accounts. The new system is aimed to eliminate ghost workers and improve transparency and accountability across the country.

An investigation is being conducted by The Teachers' Service Commission (TSC) after complaints that teachers' committees at the district level had promoted teachers that did not meet the criteria under the influence of bribes. A government official called on the TSC to establish a digital system for keeping teachers' information and offer a Customer Service Center for teachers whenever they encounter challenges in implementing their duties.