via National Defence College a response to security threats: President | The Herald
Construction of the National Defence College in 2010 was a direct response to national security threats posed by the imposition of illegal sanctions by Western countries and the need to preserve the country’s independence, President Mugabe has said.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces was speaking at the inaugural graduation of 23 senior army officers from the NDC in Harare yesterday.
Officers, who completed the 11-month long Course 01/2012, graduated with certificates.
President Mugabe said illegal sanctions imposed by the West on Zimbabwe were causing unwarranted suffering to ordinary people.
“The illegal sanctions imposed on us after we embarked on our land reform programme caused untold suffering to the generality of ordinary Zimbabweans,” he said.
“When our country faced a plethora of complex national security challenges, a situation deliberately stirred by agents of regime change with our people also facing many hardships, our independence was indeed threatened.
“After thorough consultations and deliberations, the establishment of the National Defence College was conceived as one way of effectively dealing with the externally-induced threats to our national security.
“The construction of the National Defence College, therefore, became part of the answer to our problems.”
President Mugabe said although construction of a defence college was seen as the panacea to the externally-induced security threats, funding of that project remained a challenge.
The President paid tribute to China for extending an unconditional loan to Zimbabwe to undertake the initiative.
“Although our own Treasury coffers were almost dry, we were convinced that establishing an institution that would bring together senior officers and officials of diverse experiences and backgrounds to study national security was imperative.
“The Chinese government readily supported us in establishing an institution that would immensely contribute towards safeguarding our national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“They (Chinese) unconditionally extended an interest-free loan of US$98 million for the construction of the college. I wish to sincerely thank the Government and the people of the People’s Republic of China for their unwavering support to Zimbabwe.”
President Mugabe hailed the Chinese Government for assisting the college with various learning materials during its initial stages.
“Although today is an occasion for celebration, I wish to note that in addition to its normal teething problems, the programme’s difficulties were compounded by the illegal sanctions induced economic challenges,” he said.
“During the initial phases, for example, there was a shortage of furniture and teaching aids. The shortage of computers, projectors and printers presented a challenge to efficient conduct of the teaching and learning.
“It is against this background that I once again want to thank the Chinese government for coming to our rescue by donating the requisite furniture, teaching equipment and aids, state-of-the art information and communication technology equipment, buses, solar equipment to augment electricity supplies during periods of rationing and an ambulance.”
President Mugabe said it was his fervent hope that courses offered at the NDC would be unique and had a direct bearing on the field of national security.
He said the graduation of the 23 officers was a clear attestation of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ commitment to safe guard the country’s independence and territorial integrity.
The enrolment at the National Defence College, President Mugabe said, was a concurrent study of the National Defence Course and the Master of Science Degree Course.
President Mugabe said the graduates completed 11 months of intense study aimed at developing participants’ leadership competencies and analytical skills.
He said the certificate offered by the NDC was well recognised because of the college’s cooperation with institutions such as the University of Zimbabwe and engagement of experts from other countries.
“Further to cooperation with the University of Zimbabwe, the National Defence College sought other local and international cooperating partners,” said President Mugabe.
“In this regard, international military and civilian experts participated in the delivery of instruction on courses. Notable among the experts are Pakistani and Chinese professors.”
President Mugabe said it was heartening to note that the college’s plans to graduate into a National Defence University by 2015 were well on course.
The graduation was attended by out-going Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, out-going Minister of State Security Sydney Sekeramayi and several senior Government officials.
COMMENTS
sori kwazvo. what does just a college help to stave off perceived sanctions ? did the college teach about how that defence force that lacks all the basic equipment to defend itself from countries like even lesotho or swaziland can defend itself against america and the west ? the chinese only build these colleges in order to loot more diamonds. our country has now really gone to the dogs and is being looted full time. before we even know it in 10-15 years time, we will be having no diamonds left to talk about. my foot
NONSENSE, WHAT SECURITY THEATS! CAN THEY STANDUP AGAINST THE FRENCH FORCES!
Kana tichikuudzai kuti ZANU imhata hamunzwe. If full of greedy and Selfish idiots who are only trying to safe guard their ill gotten wealth. Seriously tell me. They waste usd 98 million building a defense college which produces 23 graduates a year. Izvi hazvidi kupusa. Kana Iwe Chinotimba wake up. this could have helped so many University graduates
The security threats that Mugabe and the secure rats (typed secrocrats, but I like this more) are most concerned about is the threat from freedom of expression. With some help from their masters, the Chinese, ZANU-PF wants to ensure that most if the country remains uninformed about any perspectives other then the official one. What they do not realize is that you cannot rely on military means to contrôlée a restive population forever.
Mugabe has sold Zimbabwe to the Chinese to ensure his personal survival. A monstrous thing to do and how the Chinese must love him and wring their hands in delight. Africa has surely gone blind if they cannot see the Chinese stealing Africa’s resources and talking over. To Stupid for Words.
Guys its just a joke from a toothless dog. America will strike anywhere in the world if they like.Whether you have got a military college, scud missile, chemical weapons or even nuclear power America has got no borders if they want to strike or remove a dictator.Its a sign of ignorance from zanu pf and mugabe. Chinese are , they can’t even attempt to fight America but they will capitalise on narrow minded people like zanu pf and tell zanu pf that a military college will destroy or scare America.
Zviri kutaurwa navaMugabe hazvina musoro. Ndokunonzi kutambisa mari. Mune chokwadi kuti baba ava vakaita economics and politics kuchikoro?. Even Chinoz could have come up with better choices than the one made by the President.
The Chinese look upon Zimbabwe as their first true satellite state in Africa, just like they perceive the run down country of North Korea as a satellite state of their’s in Asia. The ‘National Defence College’ certainly wasn’t built by the Chinese with Zimbabwe’s long term national security in mind. It is there as part of China’s long term plans in their strategic goal of colonising Africa, and staying in Africa. A ‘Centre of Operations’ or ‘Joint Operational Centre’ for one day when gullible and greedy African politicians suddenly realise they’ve given their countries away through their own blindness, corruption, and greed, and then try and tell the Chinese to go home. When China has firmly established itself in Zimbabwe for the long term, the only thing black Zimbabweans will be doing in the ‘National Defense College’ is making the tea, just like they were doing in British colonial times. Do Mugabe and his ilk honestly think that all those decades ago posing for photos at the Nanking Military Academy, and getting the military hardware to fight their bush war didn’t have a price tag? Stand by for a long term rude awakening, the Chinese are the worst racists in the world, and they need Africa’s natural resources BADLY but not its people, because they have enough of their own who are a lot more productive than Africans – think,7 full working days a week – Africans don’t like that, they like to go on strike, demand more and more from their employer, work (half-heartedly) for 5 days a week, and drink beer.
Shame! What a waste! When are going to have our priorities right?
It is very much interesting that we invest $98 million for a college that produces 23 certificate holders per year.I thought the graduands were receiving PhDs or Masters Degrees.Had that money been dedicated to existing universities such as the University Of Zimbabwe, NUST,Midlands State University and others it could have gone to good use.Why invest $98 million in millitary programmes when we do not have millitary threats.Imagine hospitals are not adequately covererd in as far as drugs are concerned.Patients are being detained in hospitals for failure of payments of their medical bills,no text books in schools,pot holes in all the roads etc.That shows that these guys do not really care about us the poor.May God bless Zimbabwe.