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Today, Zimbabweans pay tribute to their defence forces. They are our first and last line of defence so they deserve all the plaudits. We have one of the world’s most professional, disciplined and decorated security forces, who have distinguished themselves in peace making and peace keeping assignments in many countries, often on UN and AU mandates.  They have done well in peace keeping missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Kosovo, Angola and other countries where the UN sought their professionalism in ensuring that the delicate post-war situations in the countries are nursed for more enduring peace.

They have also been called upon beyond keeping peace to actually make peace in countries such as Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo where rebels had taken up arms against democratically elected governments.

In the early 1980s, our soldiers were deployed to Mozambique to create peace in that country after Renamo bandits had risen against the Frelimo government of the late Cde Samora Machel.

As a friendly neighbour, our security forces had also been deployed to protect our critical eastern corridor that leads to ports in Mozambique – Maputo and Beira. Any breaching of that corridor was to have posed extreme danger to the socio-economic health of our landlocked country.

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces contributed to making peace in that country when they and the Frelimo government forces annihilated Renamo.  The rebels had no choice but to sign the peace accords with the government in 1992.

Another important Sadc assignment beckoned in August 1998 when Cde Laurent Kabila’s government came under attack from Congolese rebels who had mounted an insurgency from the east of the giant country. Backed by Rwanda and Uganda, the militants swept everything in the east of DRC and were approaching the gates of Kinshasa, which sits on the western extreme of the country, on the eastern bank of the Congo River. Our forces were dispatched at the right moment, which was also the most difficult, to defend Kinshasa and strategic infrastructure like power generating and transmission systems.

The fall of Kinshasa and the infrastructure would have spelled doom to Cde Kabila’s government and the region, but our soldiers, together with colleagues from Namibia and Chad managed to chase the insurgents away.

Zimbabwe pulled out later after Operation Sovereign Legitimacy had been accomplished and we have relative peace in that country now.  We have to admit, however that there remain challenges in the eastern Congo but now, the AU and UN are involved.

In addition to foreign tasks, the ZDF stands ready to repel any threats to our national security and territorial integrity. We have a strong force able to defend the country when attacked, but is also able to promote national development in peacetime as well.

Over the years, our security forces have been involved in many tasks like food security projects under Operation Maguta, helping in disaster response operations in times of floods, for example, building infrastructure such as roads and bridges and delivering health services to some of the remotest areas of the country.

Our army is also involved in demining operations along our common border with Mozambique, removing unexploded weapons that continue to impose a state of war decades after the liberation struggle.

The ZDF is a disciplined force whose core is a cadre that fought to liberate the country from British colonial rule. Many war veterans are still serving in the army, police force and prison service at various ranks.

New and younger men and women who have been joining the security apparatus since Independence are learning a lot from the war veterans and that discipline and professionalism should continue for years. This guarantees that we always have a capable security system which knows the country’s history.

But while we honour the ZDF today, we are concerned that the sustenance of illegal western sanctions continues to pose a threat to it. Our defence system is part of Zimbabwe, and cannot be immune to the illegal embargo which is wreaking havoc in the country. Some of the equipment and materials needed for military training is now inaccessible because of the strictures caused by the punitive measures.

However, the ZDF has managed to adapt and improvise here and there, and looking to our traditional ally, China for support.

Ours remains a formidable and professional security apparatus, which maintains a defensive posture and seeks peace. We are proud of it.