Zimbabwe Army Calls for Peaceful Elections

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe with his military forces. The ruling ZANU-PF party negotiated with the opposition to form a national unity government in Harare., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Army calls for peaceful elections

Saturday, 22 June 2013 00:00
Herald Reporter

Members of the Zimbabwe National Army have been urged to remain vigilant and ensure peace and tranquillity prevail in the forthcoming harmonised elections, a senior army official said yesterday.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony at Parachute Regiment in Harare, Director of Civil Military Relations, Colonel Charles Matema said it was the army’s mandate to ensure there was peace and tranquillity before, during and after the election.

“The Zimbabwe National Army does not condone any form of violence in the country at any time and it is our constitutional mandate to safeguard the country by making sure that peace and tranquillity prevail during the forthcoming elections,” he said.

A total of 104 graduates were presented with certificates after completing a four-month long section commanders’ tactical course.
The participants were drawn from various regiments of the ZNA.

Thirteen of the 104 graduates were women.
Col Matema urged the graduates to fully use what they had learnt during training and maintain discipline to safeguard and defend the nation.

“The graduation is coming at a critical point when the nation is about to go for elections hence let us be alert and use what we acquired during the training to safeguard and defend our country. Let a peaceful environment prevail during the forthcoming elections,” he said.

“Let us take heed of the late Vice President John Landa Nkomo’s words: ‘Peace begins with me, peace begins with you, and peace begins with all of us.”