Story by Tafara Chikumira
THE Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) is set to construct a high school with boarding facilities in Ngezi under the Five Infantry Brigade, with a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for Friday.
The project will add to the 19 primary and secondary schools already run by the army across the country, as the military broadens its footprint in the education sector.
ZNA Commander, Lieutenant General Walter Tapfumaneyi, said the initiative is rooted in the army’s liberation war history and its longstanding commitment to education.
“To us, it is a tradition. When we came back from the liberation struggle, we started getting an education. The late President Comrade Robert Mugabe was pro-education. He would also teach some comrades at the State House. He encouraged us to learn,” he said.
“As such, we want to create a conducive learning environment for the military personnel’s children as well as the surrounding communities. Learning in a military environment also helps in maintaining discipline.”
Lieutenant General Tapfumaneyi also signalled improvements to soldiers’ welfare, revealing that a salary adjustment could be imminent.
“I was talking to the President recently. I want to assure you that there is going to be a pay rise soon, possibly in March. You have a leadership which values you and which wants to take care of your welfare,” he said.
Commander Five Infantry Brigade, Brigadier General Lawrance Munzararikwa, said the planned institution would integrate education with broader development goals.
“The milestone bridges the gap between national security and national development. National security is not confined to the barrel of the gun but extends towards national development,” he said.
“The project has a foundation for national development. It’s a combination of commercial enterprise, residential premises, sporting facilities and schooling facilities. We want to come up with an institution with world-class facilities.”
The school project feeds into the infrastructure development cluster under the Government’s economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which seeks to drive Zimbabwe towards attaining upper middle-income status by 2030.
