Mnangagwa urges defence forces to be watchful of cross-border crime security threat

PRESIDNET Mnangagwa has urged the country's defence forces to be on high alert and on guard against the fast-growing security threats of cross-border crime and cyber warfare.

Speaking during the graduation of regular officer cadets at the Zimbabwe Military Academy in Gweru today, the President implored military training to address this new security threat.

"Sadly, cross border crime, terrorism and cyber and social media threats are before us. These have far reaching direct and indirect consequences to our internal peace, security, economic wellbeing and national interest and must remain on the radar of security establishments and architecture.

"In view of new realities, the training architecture within the Zimbabwe Military Academy must be agile and accordingly evolve. Equally, the need for continuous improvement on the part of the regular officer cadet course graduate both militarily and academically cannot be over emphasised," he said.

President Mnangagwa said defence institutions should reform in line with the technological and economic changes locally and regionally.

"The national, regional and international landscape is changing with accelerating speed. This presents opportunities as well as new dangers and threats. We are therefore living in the world where many of the old ways of doing business don't hold up anymore. More so, in the aftermath of the painful impact of Covid 19 pandemic," he said.

The graduation ceremony and parade saw 139 regular officer cadets, who included 34 women, graduating to be officers in the army.