ZDF fulfills constitutional mandate
The Minister of Defence, Dr Sydney Sekeramayi has challenged needy communities to request for artisanal skills from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces as a way of developing and changing the lives of the vulnerable communities as it is the organisation’s secondary constitutional obligation of rendering military assistance to civil ministries/communities divorced from their core business of maintenance of peace through the conduct of war or through an array of other war related activities.
Speaking at the Commissioning of three classroom blocks at Himago Secondary School which marked the launching of the ZDF Community Assistance Week in Bulilima District in Matabeleland South province recently, the Minister of Defence said the country is going through a time of peace but the biggest enemy is under development and poverty.
“It is therefore in the interests of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to ensure that they respond to any request that come from any part of the country,” he said.
The Himago Secondary School project was jointly funded by Kombani Lodge, the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) and the Hingwe Community members while the construction was initially done by a civilian contractor and completed by the Zimbabwe National Army’s 1 Engineer Field Squadron under Headquarters 1 Infantry Brigade.
The Bulilima District Council approached the Zimbabwe Defence Forces through the Commander 1 Infantry Brigade Brigadier General Augustine Chipwere seeking assistance to complete the construction of the three classroom blocks at Himago Secondary School. Indeed the ZDF responded positively and deployed a team of engineers who completed the project.
The school is annexed to Bambadzi and Madlambuzi Secondary Schools, as a way of cutting the distance travelled by pupils to school short. Before the school was built, pupils would travel distances of up to 24 km to Bambadzi and Madlambuzi Secondary Schools.
“Such distances were not conducive for pupils as they are tiresome and dissuasive. This obviously negatively affects the pupils’ level of concentration,” said Dr Sekeremayi.
In an interview with the Zimbabwe National Army magazine, the Headmaster of Himago Secondary School Mr Twoboy Dube cited accommodation crises as a major problem. “As you can see the school has only one teachers’ cottage used by four teachers, two males and two females and the school is in need of textbooks, water, a perimeter fence and electricity,” said Mr Dube. The school has an initial enrolment of 81 pupils.
Also in attendance at the event were Minister of Rural Development, Promotion and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage Honourable Abednico Ncube, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Mr Martin Rushwaya, the Commander Defence Forces General Dr Constantino Chiwenga, the Commander Zimbabwe National Army Lieutenant General Philip Valerio Sibanda, Air Vice-Marshal S Shumbayaonda, MP for Bulilima West Cde L Nleya, MP for Bulilima East Cde M Siqhoza, general officers, senior officers, officers, men and women of ZDF, officials from the education sector, the district council, traditional leaders and the local community.
In Matabeleland South province, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces completed two projects, Himago Secondary School and a block at Mzwanyana Secondary School that was handed over by the Chief of Staff General Staff Major General Trust Mugoba recently.
In line with the ZDF Community Assistance Week that comes a week before the Heroes and Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commemorations, the ZDF conducts various community assistance projects throughout the country’s 10 provinces which include the construction of schools, clinics, bridges as well as sprucing up of existing structures.
The Chief of Staff applauded the sponsors and further commended the relationship between 1 Infantry Brigade and its communities in the region.
“I want to thank and commend Commander 1 Infantry Brigade Brigadier General Augustine Chipwere most sincerely for working tirelessly, may you continue doing such good work for this community and region. In its entirety,” said the Chief of Staff.
In all these projects, the ZDF in partnership with various communities have done well in promoting and furthering the objectives of the infrastructure and utilities cluster of country’s economic blueprint, ZimAsset.
Besides the construction works, the ZNA is also involved in demining activities along the borders especially in the general area of Gwaivhi, where humans and their domestic animals have lost lives or limbs due to deadly riddled mines that were planted by the Ian Smith Rhodesian Army during the country’s protracted liberation struggle.