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Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga has said the conditions of service for serving forces would be their top priority now that impediments brought about by the inclusive Government had been dealt with. Gen Chiwenga said this in an interview ahead of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day to be celebrated on Tuesday.

“We also want to look at the issues of the conditions of service of our members. As you are aware that the members, both men and women, have shown their resilience for quite a long time and most of the challenges we faced in the just ended inclusive Government were unbearable and we would want to see that area in the conditions of service improved.

“These are areas which we will be looking at on our side,” Gen Chiwenga said.
Gen Chiwenga also commended Zimbabweans for voting peacefully in the recent harmonised elections and pledged that the ZDF would strive to maintain the peace.

“Let me just congratulate the electorate, the people of Zimbabwe for having voted peacefully in the just ended harmonised elections.
“And also to all the Zimbabwean people for having maintained peace and tranquillity which prevails up to this very day.

“The peace which we would want to be maintained for the good of our nation and this is what it should be,” he said.
Gen Chiwenga said the ZDF were there to maintain peace and tranquillity and create an enabling environment for business people to carry out their work without hindrance.

He also thanked members of the ZDF for the exemplary behaviour during the harmonised elections.
“The ZDF are there together with other services from the security forces to maintain peace and will be there to guarantee that peace and also allow me with great humility to thank the officers, men and women of the ZDF for having maintained the peace throughout before, during and after the harmonised elections and for having demonstrated and absolved us as the defence force all the accusations which have been levelled against us in the past,” he said.

Gen Chiwenga said the ZDF would strive to maintain high standards of training and discipline as seen by the addition of the National Defence College into their training system as part of measures to ensure a knowledgeable force in Zimbabwe.
He said the NDC would also cater for other members of the security sectors and senior civil servants for the socio-economic development of the country.