Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Zimpapers Writer
THE Zimbabwe National Army’s (ZNA) Ordinance and Transport Training School (OTTS) has been called upon to prioritise the enrolment of female students at its Very Important Persons (VIP) Drivers’ Course.
The call came from Lieutenant Colonel Fountain Dounald Sithole during the graduation ceremony for 20 students of the Very Important Persons Drivers’ Course Tpt 08/25, held recently at Khumalo Barracks. He noted that while the course was described as gender inclusive, only one student among the 20 graduands was female.
“I am reasonably concerned by the marginal imbalance between the male-to-female ratio. I urge the school to correct the imbalance by prioritising the enrolment of female candidates going forward,” said Lt Col Sithole.
The VIP Drivers’ Course is are five-week programme designed to train selected drivers specifically for VIP driving tasks during both peace and wartime. The course content covered essential areas, including driving procedures, driver’s documents, security, etiquette, and First Aid.
In a move to ensure the relevance of the training, the school also integrated contemporary subjects such as security awareness, civil-military relations, and a crime awareness campaign, as directed by the training branch.
Lt Col Sithole expressed satisfaction with the encouraging general performance of the course, attributing the achievement of its objectives to the commitment and hard work of both the students and their instructors.
Addressing the graduands directly, he emphasised the importance of the practical application of the concepts and skills acquired. He stressed the need for responsible behaviour on the roads, urging the new VIP drivers to always respect the sanctity of human life and other road users.
Furthermore, he reminded them that, given the economic challenges, they must exercise great care of the vehicles entrusted to their charge, adding that good and consistent husbandry practices will ensure prolonged service availability of the vehicles.
Lt Col Sithole acknowledged the challenges the students faced, particularly the less-than-ideal state of their learning and living accommodation facilities. He assured them that while some challenges were peculiar to the school, most were affecting other military and civilian training institutions nationwide. He promised to inform Army
Headquarters of these concerns and expressed hope that efforts would be made to address them, resources permitting.
“The military training fraternity is the bedrock of all military operations, hence it must be accorded the priority and the value it so highly deserves,” he concluded, encouraging the graduands to remain loyal and committed despite current circumstances.
