adminColumbus Mabika
Herald Reporter
THE people of Mutoko and Murehwa, who noticed a sudden influx of troops in their areas, have been advised to sit back and relax since it was simply a routine training exercise in their areas by the 2 Infantry Brigade.
In a statement, the Zimbabwe National Army said the training exercise dubbed, “Chipembere Chinotunga”, ran from Thursday last week to Monday this week. Maximum considerations were taken to ensure the safety of communities in the two areas.
From time to time, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces have to conduct exercises to focus on the simulation of real, full-scale military operations in controlled hostile conditions in attempts to reproduce war-time decisions and activities for training or to analyse the outcome of possible war-time decisions.
The exercises are also part of routine training that is conducted regularly in fulfillment of the forces’ Constitutional mandate.
Last year, the ZDF in conjunction with sister security services, completed a nearly month-long routine field training exercise covering Mwenezi and Chiredzi districts in the Lowveld.
The ZDF has, over the years, been involved in SADC joint exercises which have been conducted such as Nengosile in Zambia in 2012, Highlander in Lesotho in 2013, Wilwitshia in Namibia 2013, Vale Do Keve in Angola 2014, Mahombekombe Zimbabwe 2015, Matumbahwe in Tanzania and Exercise Umodzi which Malawi hosted in 2018.
In 2019, the ZNA was training in preparation to participate in Exercise Chomela, which was to be held in Botswana in 2020, but was postponed due to the outbreak of Covid 19.
With the receding of the pandemic, the ZNA has resumed training for Exercise Chomela. The interaction at regional exercises enhances diplomacy, cohesion, and mutual understanding between Zimbabwe and other nations and usually harmonises modus operandi under Sadc collective security initiatives.
Online Reporter