SADC military students training hailed

Government cherishes the continued participation and involvement of regional military students in training programmes at the Zimbabwe Staff College (ZSC), Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi has said. He said the foreigners' participation fostered mutual cohesion and strengthened collective efforts towards maintenance of regional peace and co-operation.

Officiating at a ceremony where 40 students graduated with diplomas in Defence and Security Studies at the ZSC in Harare last week, Dr Sekeramayi said defence and security challenges were increasingly becoming complex and transcended national borders. "The Zimbabwe Staff College's guiding beacon in all its military and academic programmes is its motto: 'to win peace study war.'

"We must be clear on the type of peace the world yearns for," he said. "Peace and stability is essential for socio-economic development and should not be dictated by a few as is now the case with some of the so-called super powers." Dr Sekeramayi said the programme was aimed at arming and equipping the participants with skills and knowledge that enabled them to grasp the dynamic regional, continental and global defence and security trends and 'think' strategically.

He said the participation of students from different security organisations in the country was essential in creating an enabling environment for collaboration and sharing ideas.

"With such knowledge, you will be able to understand and evaluate events of a security nature as commanders, administrators, supervisors, leaders and strategists at both strategic and operational levels," said Dr Sekeramayi.

Dr Sekeramayi hailed the partnership between the University of Zimbabwe and the ZSC. He said such partinership had seen the college tapping into the university's vast experience in training and development.

"I, therefore, value and encourage the Zimbabwe Staff College's continued association with the university as this strengthens the college's resolve to produce quality graduates," he said.

Dr Sekeramayi urged the commandant of the Zimbabwe Staff College and his entire staff to ensure that each student participating in their programmes was accorded fair and equal treatment regardless of rank, gender or nationality.

He was confident that the qualified and experienced staff to run other university' programmes was now in place considering the number of Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) officers graduating from various universities in the country and abroad.

University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura urged the graduates to expand their diplomas to degree level in order to maintain the security standards.