Online Reporter
Columbus Mabika and
Collin Mtatabikwa
THE Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) will remain guided by inclusivity in their quest to complement Government efforts to modernise the country, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence, Mr Aaron Nhepera, has said.
He made these remarks yesterday while handing over an Early Childhood Development block to Batanai Primary School in Mabvuku suburb, Harare, as part of the ongoing Community Assistance Week.
“As we engage in community assistance projects, we remain guided by His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief’s mantra on inclusivity by ensuring that ‘No one and no place is left behind’ in our developmental thrust,” he said.
“In keeping with this principle, we have several projects that are at various stages of completion throughout the country, that we are working on in collaboration with other stakeholders.”
Mr Nhepera said the predominant feature of the ZDF Community Assistance Programme is the provision of free skilled labour by the military while beneficiaries provide the necessary financial and material resources.
He said the programme positively impacted marginalised communities.
“It is pleasing to note that the programme has grown both quantitatively and qualitatively and has transformed the lives of many communities over the years. There has also been overwhelming demand for our services. Collaboration of different stakeholders in developmental projects like this one resonates well with the national vision,” Mr Nhepera said.
“This is a philosophy that enjoins us as citizens to take charge of the development of our communities as we aim to transform our Motherland into an empowered and prosperous upper-middle-income society by 2030.”
The Commander of the Presidential Guard Brigade, Brigadier-General Fidelis Mhonda, whose Engineers Squadron provided the skilled artisans who built the block, said the ZDF will remain open to community assistance whenever called upon.
“As an organisation, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces is mandated not only to provide security to the nation but also military assistance to civil communities and authorities. We stand with our heads high and proud of the success story in assisting communities,” he said.
Batanai School Development Community chairman Mr Brighton Mufudzi said the assistance came in handy for the school.
“The completion of this block is going to make a great difference in the community. We are proud of it,” he said.
