CommuTalk Reporter
GWERU – President Emmerson Mnangagwa today commissioned 182 officer cadets of the Regular Officer Cadet Course 3/39/22 at the Zimbabwe Military Academy.
Of the 182, a total of 44 were women.
Thirty-eight students dropped from the course due to ill health, voluntary resignation and indiscipline.
Mnangagwa said the past 21 months have seen the young cadets undergo a grueling period on unique mental, physical and intellectual training.
Mnangagwa who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces demanded unflinching patriotism and loyalty.
He said discipline, sacrifice, dependability and selflessness must be exhibited at all times.
“Serving in the defence forces is a life of service to our great nation and entails placing the interests of our people and country ahead of personal interests.
“This calls for the highest standards of honour and integrity among you.
“Always remember that you are not just joining an organisation, you are becoming part of a broader family which also thrives on honour, respect, courage, decisiveness, dependability, initiative and tact,” he said.
He also said the country’s army should always defend the secure and stable environment, which is necessary for the attainment of the country’s vision to become an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
He challenged the Zimbabwe Defence Forces across it’s training institutions, departments and agencies to scale up focus on innovation and technology development to leap forward and broaden their capabilities within the military sector.
“Science, technology and innovation are critical cogs to the modernisation of the defence forces,” he added.
