Online Reporter
President Mnangagwa has commended the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) for mainstreaming gender equality within its ranks and file, which has seen more females joining the ZDF.
President Mnangagwa said the ZDF’s bold move has enabled it to tap into the valuable contributions women can make to the country’s defence, peace and security initiatives.
Addressing officers, guests and graduates at the commissioning of officer cadets at the Zimbabwe Military Academy (ZMA) in Gweru on Friday, President Mnangagwa said it was pleasing to note that the ZDF had taken a bold move to raise the number of female office cadets enrolled at the country’s strategic military institutions.
”By so doing, you are tapping the inherent potential of women to also contribute to our national defence, peace and security effort,” said President Mnangagwa.
The President said the Regular Officer Cadet Course offered by the ZMA, remains one of the most physically and mentally demanding military courses, enabling graduates to deal with demands of the complex modern battlefields.
He said the ZDF continues to inject new officer corps within its rank and file that are well equipped to play their part in safeguarding the hard-won Independence, freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
President Mnangagwa challenged the ZMA to deliberately expose officer cadets to new fields including Artificial Intelligence and how these impact the defence and security sector.
He applauded the ZMA for joint training of officer cadets, which has seen officers from sister Republics in the region benefitting.
“Such collaboration must be strengthened and scaled up as it aids in the interoperability, among Defence Forces in our region, especially in the context of the SADC Mutual Defence Pact,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said the training of officers from other countries in the region did not only affirm the quality and depth of the programmes offered by the ZDF but also resonates with the long-standing unity of the peoples of SADC.
Zimbabweans sleep soundly because they know that their security is guaranteed by the ZDF.
The prevailing peace and tranquility should, however, not be taken for granted hence the need for military institutions to continue churning out officers equipped with the latest technology in modern warfare.
Government on its part has over the years been implementing different programmes, aimed at improving the welfare of members of the security forces.
We want at this juncture to implore members of our security forces to continue executing their constitutional mandate so that citizens continue to sleep soundly knowing very well that their security is guaranteed.
