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The Herald, August 12, 1998

ZIMBABWE Defence Forces Day, falls against a background of relative peace and tranquillity in the Southern African region.

The theme “Zimbabwe Defence Forces for peace, stability and economic growth” has been adopted.

The Minister of Defence, Cde Moven Mahachi, recently noted that the defence forces continue to play an instrumental role in nurturing and fostering the conducive and peaceful environment within which national development strategies, policies and plans have been implemented smoothly.

“Our defence forces continued to contribute to the aspirations of our shared national Vision 2020 whose objective is to lay a foundation for achieving high and sustainable standards of living for the people of Zimbabwe,” He added that the prevailing peace and stability has offered the defence forces a lot of opportunities in the field of training at both the individual and organizational levels which are designed to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Enhanced military exchange programmes had “forged ahead the cause for regional integration and co-operation in defence matters.”

Officially launching the Defence Forces Community Assistance Week, which precedes the Defence Forces Day, Cde Mahachi said the public should be educated on the place and the modern-day soldier in a modern-day society during peacetime.

A soldier was not a person trained only to shoot and kill or a person who should always associate with death and destruction.

“He is a person who, wherever a conducive atmosphere prevails, can positively contribute to the social-economic development of the country at large,” he said.

As part of the defence forces policy objectives of military assistance to the civil society in times of peace, they have participated in what have become the traditional roles of guarding key and strategic installations, safeguarding the national heritage.

LESSONS FOR TODAY

• Despite the prevailing peace and tranquillity in the country, Covid-19 has emerged as a major security threat, which is directly and indirectly affecting members of the Defence Forces.
• A number of members of the Defence Forces have either tested positive to the Sars-CoV-2 virus and recovered, while some of them are succumbing to complications caused by Covid-19.
• In 2021 alone, the country lost decorated soldiers who include Lieutenant General Edzai Absalom Chimonyo; Retired Lieutenant General and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Dr SB Moyo; former Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, Retired Major General Paradzai Willings Zimondi; Ambassador Retired Lieutenant General Douglas Nyikayaramba and Retired Major General Clever Shadreck Chiramba who are all resting at the sacred National Heroes Acre.
• In many countries, technological and scientific developments are led by the military. This includes research in health sciences.
• The world wide web (Internet) that has managed to connect people in time and place is a product that emanated from military research.
• Apart from peacekeeping missions and ensuring that Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are protected, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces are currently working with other SADC forces to crush.