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President Mugabe

Elita Chikwati, Harare Bureau
President Mugabe yesterday paid tribute to the country’s security services for their contribution towards the maintenance of a conducive and peaceful environment that has promoted the country’s economic growth.

He said this at the 2016 President’s Medal Shooting competition at Cleveland Range in Harare.

The event ran under the theme “Nurturing Skills and Arms for the Resolute Defence of the Constitution and National Sovereignty for Social and Economic Growth”.

Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Chief Prison Officer Sarah Sebata and Zimbabwe National Army Four Brigade, Corporal John Dzovani were the outstanding shootists.

President Mugabe said Zimbabwe continued to be a safe destination for investors and tourists due to the peace and stability that the security forces have managed to uphold since independence.

“As a sovereign nation, such a peaceful environment is a pre-requisite for our successful implementation of various programmes in pursuit of achieving aims and objectives of Zim-Asset, our economic development blueprint,” he said.

President Mugabe applauded the organisers of the shooting competition for creating an environment for civilians to interact with the security forces, thereby cultivating and promoting cordial co-existence between security forces and civilians.

“In essence, shooting is a competitive sport involving tests of speed and accuracy, hence there is the need for demonstration of high levels of proficiency.

“As such and in line with this year’s theme, it is my fervent hope that competitions of this nature as well as intra- and inter-service competitions will continue to nurture and fine-tune security forces’ shooting skills,” he said.

President Mugabe encouraged the shootists to compete regionally and internationally.

“I would like to challenge the relevant ministries and national associations to make deliberate efforts to develop shooting as a vibrant sport so that we are able to compete both regionally and internationally,” he said.

Meanwhile, the AFZ gave President Mugabe an honorary shooting award.

Minister of Defence Sydney Sekeramayi, Commander Defence Forces General Constantino Chiwenga and Commander AFZ Air Marshal Shiri also received honorary awards.