Online Reporter
Columbus Mabika and Tonderai Mtatabikwa
THE Zimbabwe Defence forces (ZDF) yesterday commenced this year’s edition of its Community Assistance Week, in which the military helps communities
This is in line with its constitutional mandate to protect Zimbabwe, its people, national security and interests, territorial integrity and to uphold the Constitution.
This year, the programme is running under the theme, “The Zimbabwe Defence Forces: Guaranteeing Peace and Stability for the Attainment of Vision 2030”.
The ZDF Community Assistance Week, which is primarily anchored on corporate social responsibility programmes, culminates in the Defence Forces Day celebrations, which will this year be held on August 12.
The ZDF corporate social responsibility programmes include construction of schools, clinics, footbridges and conducting medical outreach.
Yesterday, the Deputy Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Retired Levy Mayihlome, handed over a state-of-the-art Early Childhood Development complex at Gillingham Primary School in Dzivarasekwa.
Speaking at the event, Minister Mayihlome said the ZDF remains committed to assist communities to foster national development as the nation gears towards attaining an Upper Middle-Income status by year 2030.
“Under the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Community Assistance Programme, the military, as part of its peace time operations, provides free skilled labour to community development projects. Provision of skilled personnel does not only allow us the opportunity to show gratitude to communities for the support we get during the course of discharging our mandate, but it is also our modest contribution to the national development agenda, which is in tandem with the national vision,” he said.
From its inception, Brig General Mayihlome said, the Community Assistance Week has continued to grow, witnessing mega projects.
“At its inception, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Community Assistance Programme focused more on small-scale activities that included general cleaning and maintenance of public facilities. With time, the programme has transformed to encompass long term projects like the one we are witnessing today. Harare Province has benefited immensely from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Community Assistance projects,” he said.
Commander Presidential Guard formation, Brigadier General Fidelis Mhonda, whose Engineer Unit provided the artisans who constructed the complex, said the project is a testament to the power of collaboration.
“As the security forces we have a mandate not only to provide security to the nation but assistance to civil communities. The success of the project is a testament to the power of collaboration between the uniformed forces and civilians,” he said.
Today, the Commander of ZDF, General Philip Valerio Sibanda, will hand over a double-storey classroom block at Warren Park 6 Primary School in Harare.
This year’s star project will be the commissioning of a girl’s dormitory at Nhowe Mission High School in Macheke by the Minister of Defence Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri on Friday.
The Commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ), Air Marshal Jacob Nzvede, will on Friday officiate at a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of Malibeng Clinic in Beitbridge.
