CIOs key to national security, says Mugabe

President Robert Mugabe has hailed to work of the Presidential Department, saying central intelligence is an integral part of the country's security system.

He was speaking at the burial of the late Assistant Director – Western Region in the Presidential Department, Zenzo Ntuliki at the National Heroes Acre in Harare today.

"Their work, the nature of their work in defence, may differ from the work of the army or police but they are all the same as the arms of our defence," Mugabe said.

The President said Ntuliki was one of the senior personnel in the Presidential Department, a role which demands the highest degree of secrecy and intelligence.

"In central intelligence there is a greatest demand of secrecy. [While in the department], he [Ntuliki] continued to exercise values required in the protection of the nation, protection of the economy and the protection of leaders. Hatingomanya-manya, tichingodauka-dauka zvisiri mugwara rinoonekwa ne nyanzwi dzedu dzinenzeve, dzine maziso, dzineruzivo kuti apa patsvene, apa panenyoka. Tinoda nyanzwi dzakadai, kondiko kuraramaka kwedu isu vatungamiriri. Akanga arimuongorori waVa [Joshua] Nkomo, Umdlala wethu kwenguva refu, handifungi kuti vazhizi manga muchizviziva," Mugabe said.

President Mugabe also hailed Ntuliki's ultimate sacrifice and discipline, which he said were critical for the liberation of the country.

"The fact that he is being interred here means that he was a comrade, a comrade who went through the grief, who sacrificed to go through that grief, that suffering alongside the rest of us and those who have departed whom he is joining. Self sacrifice was one of Ntuliki's strong attributes.

"He demonstrated that sacrifice by foregoing his secondary education to join the struggle with other youths. So he like his colleagues was determined to fight for an independent Zimbabwe. It meant that the hardships of the struggle, be it hunger, the consequences of illness, attack from the enemy and if these ills visited you, they find you ready and saying: ‘let them come I am prepared to die for my country.' That was the spirit, the spirit of Zenzo was the spirit of others.

"He was one of those who vowed to leaders that ‘whatever training you can give me like the training you have given others I will accept, whatever command you give I will obey.' He was a very disciplined comrade. When he came to us he did not expect to do as he wished, to follow his will, NO!!. He had not personal will to follow. And when he was asked to go to further training, he accepted," Mugabe said.

The President also said it was unfortunate that Ntuliki died at a younger age, but reminded people that all shall die as the Holy Bible says.

He said knowing that we shall all depart, people must enjoy the gift of life and no one or another nation should decide to deprive another of that enjoyment and their right to freedom and the right to own and utilise their own resources.

"No other nation must decide to disturb the continuity of our people. We need that freedom and independence, that everyone amongst us can proudly say ‘I belong to this country, I am a Zimbabwean.' That is what everyone here wants. Let us not forget also that there are others who want to make what is not theirs their own. They occupy other countries and make them their own. No country or people in this day and age would allow foreigners to own their land. We will not allow that in Zimbabwe, that is a declaration. I am one of the few prepared to free my country so that the foreigner can get out of my country. That is why I want land to go back into the hands of my people," said Mugabe.

The President urged all the country's security forces to defend the country from both external and internal disturbances.

He also castigated people who want to disturb the peaceful co-existence of Zimbabweans through acts of corruption, theft, robbery and murder.