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Farai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE National Army Chief-of-Staff (Quartermaster Staff), Major-General Douglas Nyikayaramba has called for the revamping of the country’s education curriculum to foster a sense of patriotism among children to safeguard the country’s hard-won independence.
Maj-Gen Nyikayaramba said this while officiating at a recent interactive forum that brought together the military, academia and members of the Young Zimbabweans Business Platform (YZBP).
The senior military officer said the disconnect between education and the country’s needs had massive political, social and economic implications.
“We are also aware that there is one missing link which almost led us into oblivion: that is a proper academic syllabus starting from zero grade which develops our youngsters from early childhood into proper citizens.
“If you go to China today and you travel from north to south or west to east they speak the same language, and it is because of a well-developed curriculum which develops a sense of patriotism among its citizens, they speak the same language.
“If we are going to leave this country in safe hands, the time is now to start implementing a progressive education system that empowers, that endears us to this great country,” he said.
Maj-Gen Nyikayaramba said the resounding victory by Zanu-PF in the July 31 harmonised elections was because of a collective effort by all progressive Zimbabweans who agreed on the imperative of controlling their natural resources and charting their own destiny.
“If we do not assert our authority over our land we cannot be a people; we can only be a people if we have full control of our land, full control of our resources,” he said.
Maj-Gen Nyikayaramba said tens of thousands of people had died and many more endured hardships for Zimbabwe’s freedom and for the democracy being enjoyed today.
“Before 1980 there was no democracy to talk about, there was no one man one vote and no freedom of speech that is being enjoyed today. This came about in 1980 when President Mugabe, our gallant fighter and statesman par excellence, led the 16-year fight for the emancipation of our people.
“Now our education is just but useless if we cannot understand the role the revolutionaries played for the liberation of our country and we need to create value for our education and create that understanding of that history behind us for the future generations of this country to inherit something from us,” he said.
Maj-Gen Nyikayaramba said the indigenisation and empowerment drive being spearheaded by Zanu-PF was about taking control of the country’s means of production.
In that vein, he noted, education must be connected to the entrepreneurial demands of indigenisation and empowerment.
YZBP spokesperson Mr Kelvin Motsi congratulated President Mugabe and Zanu-PF for winning the elections.
“On behalf of our organisation, may I express my happiness that we are here under a clearer national picture following the peaceful, successful, free and fair elections which brought a resounding victory for the people of Zimbabwe in their quest to be masters of their own destiny.
“As such, we would like to congratulate the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde RG Mugabe, for the confidence that the overwhelming majority of Zimbabweans have shown in his continued leadership, as well as in his Cabinet, service chiefs and their support staff at all levels,” he said.
Mr Motsi said YZBP was an entrepreneurship and empowerment facilitation group which brings together professional and young businesspersons based locally and in the Diaspora for the purpose of “contributing to bettering their country through innovative initiatives that are both empowering and create employment”.
YZBP organised the second such interactive forum with the military and academia in Harare as a follow-up to the inaugural event held last year. It will be an annual event to help strengthen civil-military relations.
Online Reporter