NDC to get university status
EFFORTS to transform the National Defence College (NDC) into a fully fledged national university have gathered momentum, with its fourth graduation yesterday likely to be the last before the institution is commissioned as an institution of higher learning, President Mugabe has said.
Addressing 33 graduates who attended the National Defence Course No 04/2015, President Mugabe said once the legislative processes are concluded, the NDC would become a fully fledged university.
The NDC is an affiliate of the University of Zimbabwe, which is the oldest and one of the highly esteemed academic institutions in the country.
“It gives me great pleasure to warmly welcome you all to the fourth National Defence College graduation ceremony, probably one before the college attains university status,” President Mugabe said.
“The college’s affiliation to the UZ has enabled our oldest and most experienced university to release its highly qualified and experienced lecturers to teach at the NDC.
“At the same time, UZ has availed its library facilities to the Defence College students and staff. No doubt, the college greatly benefited from its partnership with UZ and will always be grateful.
“It has, however, active plans to transform itself into a National Defence University.
“Once the legislative processes have been concluded, the National Defence College will become a fully fledged university.”
Among the graduates were five females drawn from the Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe and the Office of the President and Cabinet.
The National Defence Course No 4/15 was also attended by senior security officers from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria.
President Mugabe described the course as comprehensive as it included presentations from senior Government officials, captains of industry and several study tours at regular intervals.
“Participants received high powered lectures from Cabinet Ministers of Health and Child Care, Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment and Lands and Rural Resettlement as well as from Zimbabwe Revenue Authority Commissioner General,” said the President.
“As an essential component of the first term’s work, participants visited Government departments that contribute to national security. Within Harare, students went to the Harare Institute of Technology, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Investment Centre.”
During the second term, President Mugabe said, the students had lectures from Government Ministers as well as from ambassadors of China, Democratic Republic of Congo and Iran, country representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation and Commissioner for Peace and Security Council of the African Union, Ambassador Smail Cherqui, among others.
He said one of the high profile lectures during the course was delivered by former Tanzanian president Dr Benjamin Mkapa.
“Dr Mkapa’s most powerful and wise talk underscored the need for every student to exercise selfdiscipline and commitment to duty,” said President Mugabe.
“He (Dr Mkapa) invited students to draw inspiration from the exemplary leadership in the mode of President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
“To further enrich the course content, in the third term, 16 eminent academics, professionals, technocrats, Government ministers and service chiefs addressed students on various national security related subjects.”
President Mugabe said his two deputies Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko also addressed the students.
The National Defence Course is attended by senior officials from the Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, President’s department and senior officials from other sectors to sharpen their skills in defence and national security strategy formulation.
Yesterday’s graduation was also attended by VP Mnangagwa, service chiefs and several Cabinet ministers.