HARARE – Government has called for SADC member states to collectively come up with strategies to deal with serious threats posed by act of terrorism and other non-traditional threats in Mozambique.
Officiating at the 12th Academic Graduation Ceremony for the Diploma in Defence and Security Studies Intake 18 and 20 and the Diploma in Adult Education Intake 10 held at the Zimbabwe Staff College today, the Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri told delegates including top security officials led by Commander Defence Forces General Phillip Valerio Sibanda, grandaunts in security studies and adult education, that the SADC region is under threats from acts of terrorism in Mozambique which require collective effort to overcome.
“Our region is under serious threat from acts of terrorism and other forms of non-traditional threats which require sophisticated strategies to overcome. In that regard, our government is deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Mozambique, which is threatening peace and socio-economic development of the region.
“Mozambique is our gateway to the sea, therefore, any form of attack on our neighbour has a direct impact on us. There is need for collective effort in the region, to deal with this emerging threat,” she said.
University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul Mapfumo, who conferred diplomas on 157 graduates, spoke highly on the need for massive implementation of the Education 5.0 philosophy to produce practical-result oriented graduates.
He said: “There is need to change the way of learning and teaching and align with the 5.0 philosophy, to end the tendency of producing self aggrandisement graduates who boast of achieving a diploma without deep transformation to enhance relevance – this we should do away with.
“Let embrace the Education 5.0 which promotes teaching research, community service, innovation, and industrialisation for a competitive modernised and industrialised Zimbabwe.”
The graduands were drawn from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services, while other were from regional and international countries.
Meanwhile, the High Commissioner of Botswana to the Republic of Mozambique His Excellency High Commissioner Mr Pitso paid a courtesy call on His Excellency Ambassador Lieutenant General ( Rtd) Douglas Nyikayaramba at his Offices last Thursday.
The two exchanged information and views on a wide range of issues of mutual benefit to both Missions, and in particular on the Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration ( DDR) and the Cabo Delgado situation.
The High Commissioner of Botswana is a member of the Contract Group on the Mozambique Peace process.
The meeting was held in a very friendly and cordial atmosphere.
Insurgents decapitated as many as 50 people in attacks on several villages earlier this month in Cabo Delgado province, according to Mozambique Police Commander Bernardino Rafael.
The attacks in the mainly Christian area of Muidumbe were condemned by the United Nations, which last week called for an investigation into the reports that militants had massacred villagers and beheaded women and children
