Soldiers urged to maintain high levels of discipline

to adhere to the oath of allegiance to serve the country against foreign invasion.
He also warned the new recruits against committing criminal acts saying the authorities were ready to deal with insurgents.
“You should know that the uniform you are wearing is for the defence of Zimbabwe and should be respected by those who wear it, do not abuse it,” said Lt Gen Sibanda.
“If you decide to be ill-disciplined you should be sure of one thing, that the long arm of our military justice system will catch up with you.”
He encouraged Zimbabweans to stand firm against hardships resulting from illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the West.
“The intentions of Western countries on Zimbabwe are to push the Zimbabwean population to extremes of suffering so that people can rise up against Government to fulfil the Western countries ultimate objective of regime change,” he said.
Lt General Sibanda said succumbing to pressures of sanctions was the foundation for recolonisation.
“These machinations by Western countries should be resisted and Zimbabweans should be aware that a few years of suffering cannot be equated to a lifetime of bondage.
“This is without doubt what will happen if we allow the British, the European Union countries and the Americans to come back and recolonise us through the back door using some of our misguided brothers and sisters as their agents,” he said.
Lt Gen Sibanda urged soldiers to be relevant to their communities through conforming to higher levels of discipline and refraining from harassment of citizens.
“You should contribute to the betterment of and well being of these communities and desist from all acts of indiscipline and harassment of fellow citizens of our country.
The ZNA chief hailed recruits for withstanding hardships encountered in their six months of training and attributed these to logistical challenges resulting from the sanctions.
The recruits went through physical training, foot and arms drill, map reading and navigation, first aid, civic military education, individual and team tactical manoeuvres, and weapon training.