News / National
Military not obliged to salute Tsvangirai
28 Jul 2011 at 04:42hrs | Views
NO person outside the chain of military command is eligible for salute by service chiefs, Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
"Only those in the chain of the command are eligible for a salute. All those outside this command are not entitled to any salute," said Minister Mnangagwa, while responding to questions from Members of Parliament during the Question-and-Answer Session in the House of Assembly.
The Minister said according to the chain of military command, at the helm is the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, the President, in between is the Minister of Defence, followed by the Commander of the ZDF and then Commanders of the Zimbabwe National Army and Air Force of Zimbabwe.
He said subordinates salute their superiors and as a matter of tradition, the seniors can reciprocate the salute.
The Minister's statement clears misconception by some political pundits, who have been challenging the service chiefs to salute Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Minister Mnangagwa reiterated that Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayamba's political statements were an expression of his personal views as guaranteed by the Constitution and did not reflect the views of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
Gutu North legislator Mr Edmore Maramwidze (MDC-T) had asked the minister whether utterances by Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba that the army would not salute any President without liberation war credentials were personal or the Ministry's policy. He was also asked why in some cases service chiefs and other people from the uniformed forces saluted MPs and other senior Government officials.
"If the Honourable Member had the advantage of being saluted he should keep that to himself," said Minister Mnangagwa.
Minister Mnangagwa said it was critical to realise that while Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba was not the official spokesperson of the army, the Constitution guaranteed the right of expression to every citizen.
"Only those in the chain of the command are eligible for a salute. All those outside this command are not entitled to any salute," said Minister Mnangagwa, while responding to questions from Members of Parliament during the Question-and-Answer Session in the House of Assembly.
The Minister said according to the chain of military command, at the helm is the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, the President, in between is the Minister of Defence, followed by the Commander of the ZDF and then Commanders of the Zimbabwe National Army and Air Force of Zimbabwe.
He said subordinates salute their superiors and as a matter of tradition, the seniors can reciprocate the salute.
Minister Mnangagwa reiterated that Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayamba's political statements were an expression of his personal views as guaranteed by the Constitution and did not reflect the views of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
Gutu North legislator Mr Edmore Maramwidze (MDC-T) had asked the minister whether utterances by Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba that the army would not salute any President without liberation war credentials were personal or the Ministry's policy. He was also asked why in some cases service chiefs and other people from the uniformed forces saluted MPs and other senior Government officials.
"If the Honourable Member had the advantage of being saluted he should keep that to himself," said Minister Mnangagwa.
Minister Mnangagwa said it was critical to realise that while Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba was not the official spokesperson of the army, the Constitution guaranteed the right of expression to every citizen.
Source - TH
