admin
Khama Phiri Midlands Bureau Chief
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday commissioned a record 184 junior army officers, among them 28 females, at the Zimbabwe Military Academy in Gweru.The historic event saw two groups, ZMA’s officer cadet course 3/30/12 which had 143 graduating officers and the Air Force of Zimbabwe’s joint training pilot and regular officer cadet course number 67 with 41 officers.
Five officers, three from the ZMA and two from Air Force, were commissioned in absentia after they were nominated for further training in China.
ZMA’s graduation and pass-out parade of the regular officer cadet course 3/30/12 is the 30th course to graduate at the military academy in Gweru since 1980.
President Mugabe, the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, expressed concern at the small number of women who graduated yesterday.
“The ZMA Regular Officer Cadet Course commenced on September 17, 2012 with an initial enrolment of 193 students, comprising 188 Zimbabweans and five Namibians. Obviously there was no gender balance at the enrolment when, of the enrolling 188 students, only 22 were female! Local students were recruited through a selection process that was aimed at getting an equal number of students from each of the country’s 10 provinces, with the rest drawn from serving members of the Zimbabwe National Army,” he said.
From the initial ZMA enrolment, 45 males and five females failed to meet the gruelling demands and rigours of the course. One officer cadet, Vitalis Zenda, passed on during training after he collapsed in a battle march.
President Mugabe consoled the late officer’s family and relatives.
The second group, the joint training pilot and regular officer cadet, course number 67 of the Air Force of Zimbabwe commenced on October 1, 2012 at Thornhill Airbase.
It had an initial enrolment of 46 officer cadets drawn from flying air traffic control and the regiment trades.
However, only 41 officers graduated yesterday, 11 of them females.
The Commander-in-Chief of the ZDF said the newly commissioned officers completed 22 months of intensive military training.
He said the course curriculum included drill, skills at arms, field craft and map reading, communications, command and leadership, among other subjects.
Among yesterday’s graduating officers were five officers from the Namibia Defence Forces, becoming the third group from that country to be trained at the ZMA.
Said President Mugabe: “I am pleased that five students from Namibia Defence Forces, being commissioned today, are the third group to be trained here by the ZMA. This demonstrates the strong bilateral ties that exist between our two defence forces and indeed our two countries. Their participation in this training has, once again, demonstrated our strong belief in mutual military cooperation and the existence of a peaceful and stable Sadc region.”
President Mugabe commended the Midlands State University (MSU) and the ZMA for the cooperation and combined efforts in enriching the training of officer cadets.
ZMA and AFZ military training and education diplomas are accredited with MSU.
Joint training pilot and regular officer cadet, course number 67 whose officers graduated yesterday were the first from the Air Force to undergo a diploma in military training and education.
The best student was cadet officer Tatenda Chironde who was presented with the Sword of Honour while the first runner up was cadet officer Bosman Socha who was presented with the Commander of the Army Award.
In third place was female cadet officer Happiness Chibanda who received the ZMA Commandant’s Award. Officer cadet Passionate Moyo emerged tops from the AFZ side while Takashinga Verengera and Blessing Gowero came second and third respectively.
Tobias Haikali was named the best allied student.
Among the dignitaries who attended the graduation were acting Minister of Defence, Cde Didymus Mutasa, Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Cde Jason Machaya, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, service chiefs and Gweru Mayor, Councillor Hamutendi Kombayi.
Londile Moyo
Bongani Ndlovu