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Senior Reporter
Future military leaders must be conscious and vigilant against conflicts that threaten peace and stability in the Sadc region, Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi has said. Speaking at the graduation ceremony of security officers who undertook a Diploma in Defence and Security Studies at Zimbabwe Staff College yesterday, Minister Sekeramayi said conflicts did not only threaten peace but also posed serious threat to cultural heritage and sovereignty.
“An in-depth understanding of this subject (Defence and Security Studies) area provides a clear understanding of the attendant regional and international security challenges, equips officers with the necessary conceptual knowledge guiding the conduct of warfare and fostering the ability to think and plan strategically on defence and security issues.
“Armed with such knowledge, you will be able to appreciate, analyse, interpret and evaluate events of a security nature as and when they arise within portfolios as commanders, leaders, senior staff officers and strategists at both strategic and operational levels,” he said.
The minister applauded the cordial working relations existing between the Zimbabwe Staff College and the University of Zimbabwe which have enriched students’ analytical skills especially on the rapidly changing geo-political environments.
He said it was disheartening that the college failed to run the Bachelor of Adult Education (Defence Education) degree this year because of financial challenges. Minister Sekeramayi said the degree programme would resume once resources were secured.
“I am also aware of the Zimbabwe Staff College’s plans to introduce the Bachelor of Arts Degree and Defence and Security Studies undergraduate programme.
“Significant progress has been made in this regard,” he said.
The minister said government would continue pursuing joint training of regional defence forces as a way of fostering mutual understanding and co-operation thereby enhancing regional peace and stability.
In his address, University of Zimbabwe vice chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura said the quality of work produced by the college met the university’s rigorous standards.
“The staff college has become a very special associate college of UZ. The quality and standards produced here meets the rigorous standards we have set as an institution,” he said.
Professor Nyagura said the UZ was slowly achieving its goal of extending university education to everyone regardless of their profession.
Intake Number 10 of the Diploma in Defence and Security Studies commenced in January this year with 43 students and 40 successfully completed the course.
Out of the 40, 24 were from the Zimbabwe National Army, six from Airforce of Zimbabwe, two from the President’s Department and one each from the Zimbabwe Prison Service and Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Six officers were from regional countries that included Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania and Zambia.
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