daniel chigunwe
Columbus Mabika
Herald Reporter
THE Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) will continue to work tirelessly in its quest to fulfill its constitutional mandate of defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Zimbabwe, Commander AFZ, Air Marshal Jacob John Nzvede, said yesterday.
Officiating during a handover and takeover of Manyame Air Base command from Air Commodore Elisha Masakadza to Air Commodore Ernest Matsambira, Air Marshal Nzvede, who was the chief witness, said the AFZ will remain steadfast in defending Zimbabwe, its airspace and its people.
“The hand-over and take-over that we witnessed earlier is, therefore, not only a ceremonial handover of flags but of all this proud history and traditions of the Air Force. The motto of this Base is “Steadfast” which captures the commitment to fulfill all roles of Air Force of Zimbabwe and indeed the Zimbabwe Defence Forces mandate,” he said.
Air Marshal Nzvede called on commanders to emulate President Mnangagwa’s servant leadership style to foster a results-oriented approach to AFZ responsibilities.
This, he said, will foster collective responsibilities and a shared vision.
“The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde Dr ED Mnangagwa has promoted the concept of servant leadership. While the military is synonymous with commands and instructions, I wish to state that this does not take away the importance of compassion and understanding the needs of subordinates which is key to fostering teamwork,” Air Marshal Nzvede said.
“If the incoming base commanders and all the leaders at various levels demonstrate the qualities of servant leadership, I can guarantee you that the officers and members will always be unshakeable in their resolve to serve this great nation by diligently performing their various roles in the Air force of Zimbabwe.”
Accepting command of the base, Air Commodore Matsambira pledged to work for the success of the base and the nation at large.
“Allow me to thank you sir for appointing me to be the base commander for Manyame Air Force base. It is indeed an honour and privilege to be entrusted with such a huge responsibility of commanding base. I feel really indebted to you sir for according to me such a rare privilege meant for a chosen few in the AFZ. I am fully aware and geared up to undertake the command of the base with vigour and I promise you sir that I will discharge my duties to the best of my ability. Furthermore, I pledge to discharge my duties diligently while adhering to the military justice system,” he said.
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