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Timoth Makohliso Midlands Reporter
The Zimbabwe National Army will soon adopt technologically advanced methods of training its staff to counter emerging cyber and asymmetric threats, the commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Constantine Chiwenga, has said.

In a keynote address at a graduation ceremony of basic officers’ course number 1 at Thornhill Air Base on Thursday, General Chiwenga said technological convergences had drastically changed the global security environment, hence the need for the ZNA to adopt technologically advanced ways of training.

He said the global security environment had become complex due to the emergency of the now rampant cyber crimes which needed technologically advanced knowledge to counter them.

“The contemporary world is quite dynamic; this is evidenced by a rapidly changing environment. Global security is constantly being threatened by cyber and asymmetric crimes which have become a serious challenge to the preservation of peace and security in the world.”

Gen Chiwenga said there was a need for a paradigm shift in training methods.

He said evidence that the ZNA was slowly shifting its focus in terms of training methods was the exposure of current graduands to geo-political studies which gave them a clear understanding of the existing world order.

Gen Chiwenga said the ZNA had a mammoth task of ensuring the successful implementation of the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset).

“I encourage you as commissioned officers of the Zimbabwe defence forces to protect and defend the ethos and values of our liberation struggle and hard won independence. In the same vein the successful implementation of Zim-Asset requires that the ZNA plays its part by ensuring the existence of peace and security that will guarantee Zimbabwe’s hard won independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, economic growth and prosperity,” he said.

Eight officers graduated while one failed to complete the training programme due to disciplinary issues.

Three of the eight officers who graduated were females.