HARARE Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe last week launched a National Defence College expected to be a regional institution. Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980, laid a foundation stone at the college last Friday at a ceremony witnessed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy Arthur Mutambara.
The college is located along Mazowe road in Marlborough, Harare and occupies 65 hectares of land. The University of Zimbabwe donated the land and China had seconded the Peoples Liberation Army Instructors team to train Zimbabwe Defence Forces members at the Staff College.
The college is set to become the highest national institution to provide training in defence and security studies in the country and in the region.
“The National Defence College shall, through national constructive and collective engagements in the crafting of national policy issues, act as a unifying platform, Mugabe said. It will inculcate a sense of belonging, be it in pursuit of our national values, or in cultivating an ethos of a united Zimbabwe.
Mugabe said Britain and the United States continued to try to destabilise Zimbabwe by working with “non-state actors” aimed at unseating his government.
Mugabe said the important role of defending the country could not be left to mediocre officers incapable of comprehending and analytically evaluating the operational environment “to ensure that the sovereignty of our state is not only preserved, but enhanced.”
Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Constantine Chiwenga said :The National Defence College programmes will become the flagship of the defence and security establishments in Zimbabwe.”
As Defence Forces, we see this institution enhancing our defence capabilities and will reposition Zimbabwe to its traditional leadership role in the region.
The Minister of Defence, Emmerson Mnangagwa said: This will be an institution of higher learning or our Military University for leaders in the security, public and private sectors, providing the appropriate environment and framework for the conduct of research on national strategic issues. The institution will provide the requisite foundations for national cohesion and vision.
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