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Columbus Mabika, Herald Reporter
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) annual community assistance programme will start on Monday, with projects ready to be handed over to communities, in the build up to the Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day weekend.
Annually, during the ZDF Community Assistance Week, the military embarks on several projects where it assists communities in line with its constitutional mandate to protect Zimbabwe, its people, national security and interests, territorial integrity and to uphold the Constitution.
It is part of the ZDF peacetime mandate to embrace development in the country by extending a helping hand to communities as the nation gears towards realisation of Vision 2030.
This year’s ZDF day celebrations will be held on August 13.
Due to the massive renovations being done at the traditional venue, the National Sports Stadium, this years’ national celebrations will be held at Rufaro Stadium while provincial celebrations will be conducted at the traditional venues countrywide.
Traditionally these celebrations are preluded by a Community Assistance Week programme, which is primarily anchored on corporate social responsibility programmes. The Zimbabwe Defence Forces corporate social responsibility programmes include among others, construction of schools, clinics, footbridges and conducting medical outreach programmes.
This year the ZDF will take advantage of the Community Assistance Week, running from August 5-9, to handover completed projects to communities.
From the 43rd Anniversary last year to date, the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air Force of Zimbabwe undertook 29 projects with nine of them complete and ready to be handed over to communities next week.
The Community Assistance Week will officially open in Harare Metropolitan at Kuwadzana 2 High School when Minister of Defence Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri will hand over a single storey administration block. In Matabeleland North Deputy Minister of Defence Brigadier General (Retired) Levi Mayihlome will hand over two classroom blocks at Tshino Secondary in Tsholotsho District.
In the Midlands Permanent Secretary for Defence Cde Aaron Nhepera will hand over a classroom block at Tsungai Primary School in Nembudziya, Gokwe North. In Manicaland Commander ZDF General Philip Valerio Sibanda, will hand over two classroom blocks at the new site of St Charles Luwanga Secondary School in Chimanimani District.
Also in Manicaland, Commander Zimbabwe National Army Lieutenant General Anselem Sanyatwe will hand over a classroom block at Samanyika Primary School, in Donzvo-Nyamaropa, Nyanga North.
Commander Air Force of Zimbabwe Air Marshal Jacob John Nzvede will hold a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of Denzva Clinic in Rusape, Manicaland. In addition to the handing over of completed projects, the ZDF medical teams in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care will conduct free outreach medical assistance programmes at Siphepha Clinic in Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North, Tsonzo Clinic in Mutasa and at Denzva Clinic in Rusape.
Online Reporter