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Zimbabwe National Army

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Zimbabwe National Army
ZNA.jpg
Officers from the ZNA
Motto'Our swords are the shield of the nation'
Founded1980
HeadquartersHarare, Army Headquarters
Leadership
Commander in ChiefEmmerson Mnangagwa
Minister of DefenceOppah Muchinguri
Commander of ZNAEdzai Absolom Chanyuka Chimonyo


The Zimbabwe National Army is the Zimbabwe Defense Forces ground wing which was established with the role of ensuring territorial integrity, peace, stability and security. The force was established in 1980 after the country attained its Independence.

History

The Lancaster House Agreement negotiated in the United Kingdom in 1979 on the conflict in Rhodesia ushered in the independence of Zimbabwe.[1] In the same agreement was a provision for the formation of a new post independence Army, the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA). The ZNA drew its membership from three former belligerent Armies, namely; the Rhodesian Army (RA), the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA).[1]

The military commanders in 1980 were:

  • ZANLA:

Rex Nhongo, Agnew Kambeu and Josiah Tungamirai.

  • ZIPRA:

Dumiso Dabengwa, Lookout Masuku and Ben Mathe. [2]

In 1980 Lieutenant General George Peter Walls was assigned by the then Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe to supervise the forces integration process. [1] His assignment was short-lived since he quickly fell out of the Prime Minister’s favour for complicity as there had been a number of attempts on his life just before the commencement of the integration process. A much more representative organisation, the Joint High Command (JHC), was established by the Prime Minister in March 1980 to spearhead the integration of forces into the ZNA.[1]

The then Minister of State Security, Emmerson Mnangagwa was appointed its Chairman. Key members of this superior command structure were mainly drawn from the 3 former belligerent Armies. These were Rhodesian Army Commander Lieutenant General LC Maclean, ZANLA and ZIPRA represented by their respective Commanders, Generals Solomon Mujuru and Lookout Masuku respectively.[3]

Additional members of the Joint High Command were Air Marshal Norman Walsh, Brigadier General Vitalis Zvinavashe, Mr B.A Page, Major General Palmer, Major General Thompson.[1] Complementing the integration process were parallel standardisation training programmes run by the British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) at different command levels for the forming of ZNA. By mid 1980, a number of newly integrated ZNA units had been formed with General Solomon Mujuru as the first commander, ZNA. [1]

The ZNA has never been decreased in size from the three, warring, armies that were amalgamated.

Regional and International Interventions

The ZNA has embarked on a number of military expeditions both regionally and internationally.
The ZNA fought Renamo in Mozambique, 1983- 1992. The ZNA, (under the ZDF as a whole) played a significant role in the Second Congo War. [4]

The ZNA participated in observer and peacekeeping missions in Angola, Rwanda, Somalia, Lesotho, Cote d'lvoire, Liberia, Nepal, Burundi and Sudan.
The Army has taken part in flood and other natural disaster rescue related situations in Namibia, Zambia and Mozambique. In 2015, members of the force were deployed in Equatorial Guinea where they offered security during the AFCON games held in Malabo.

Community Assistance

The army has helped the local community in several ways.
In 2013, they also offered assistance in the Mzarabani area in Mashonaland Central Province were villagers were affected by flooding of the Zambezi River.
In 2014, members of the ZNA offered help to victims of the Tokwe Mukosi Disaster who were affected by flooding in Masvingo.
In 2021, the ZNA was involved in Cyclone Idai relief activities.

Army Commanders

When General Solomon Mujuru retired from the Army in 1992, General Vitalis Zvinavashe took over command. He was later appointed the first Commander of Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) on its establishment in 1994. General Constantine Chiwenga took over command of the ZNA. In 2004, General Vitalis Zvinavashe retired from the ZDF. He was succeeded by General Constantine Chiwenga. Lieutenant General Philip Valerio Sibanda took over command of the Army from 2004. [5]. In December 2017, Edzai Absolom Chanyuka Chimonyo became the commander of the ZNA after Sibanda was promoted to Commander Defence Forces.

In December 2017, Emmerson Mnangagwa promoted David Sigauke from the rank of Brigadier General to Major General. Other Brigadier Generals who were promoted with Sigauke were John Chris Mupande, Paul Chima and Hlanganani Dube.[6]

On 6 August 2021, Mnangagwa appointed David Sigauke as Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army. The elevation meant he became a Lieutenant General.

Recruitment and Training

The Zimbabwe National Army recruits nationals who are 18 years and above. It does not segregate on the basis of sex and has a considerable number of women in various departments. Recruits go through a number of medical and physical examinations to ensure that they are mentally and physically fit for the job. It also requires a number of Ordinary level passes in order to be included in the national army.

Composition

In 1998, the ZNA included the following units.

Infantry Brigades
Brigade HQ/Base Details
1 Brigade Brady Barracks, Bulawayo Including 1.1 Inf. Bn. - Mbalabala, 1.2 Inf. Bn. - Induna, 1.3 Inf. Bn. Plumtree.
2 Brigade Old Cranborne Barracks, Harare Including 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 Inf. Bn. based at Magunje and Mudzi.
3 Brigade Chikanga Barracks, Mutare Including 3.1 and 3.2 Inf. Bn. Tsanzaguru Barracks, Rusape, and 3.3 Inf. Bn. - Chagadzi Barracks.
4 Brigade Masvingo Including 4.1 and 4.2 Inf. Bn. Gutu and 4.3 Inf. Bn.
5 Brigade Battlefields Barracks, Kadoma Including 5.1 Inf. Bn. - Dadaya, Zvishavane and 5.2 and 5.3 Inf. Bn.
Mechanized Brigade Inkomo Barracks Harare Including Tank Regt. and Mechanized Regt.
Artillery Brigade Including two Field Artillery Regts. and one Air Defence Regt.
Specialist Units
Unit HQ/Base Details
Presidential Guard Dzivarasekwa Barracks, Harare 3 Bns., one at State House
Commando Regt. Cranborne Barracks, Harare 1 Cdo - Former RLI
Parachute Regt. Inkomo Barracks, Harare
2nd Mechanized Regt. Formed in Second Congo War
Zimbabwe Mounted Infantry Guinea Fowl, Gweru Bn. sized, former Grey's Scouts

[7]

Training Depots

  1. Zimbabwe Military Academy (ZMA)
  2. All Arms Battle School (AABS
  3. Zimbabwe School of Infantry (ZSI)
  4. Recruit Training Depot (RTD)[8]

Military Schools in Zimbabwe

  1. Zimbabwe School of Military Engineers (ZSME).
  2. School of Artillery.
  3. Armour Training School.
  4. School of Signals.
  5. School of Military Intelligence.
  6. Instructors Training School.
  7. Medical Training School.
  8. Ordinance and Transport Training School.
  9. School of Military Police.
  10. Information Technology Training School.
  11. School of Logistics.
  12. Pay Corps Training School.
  13. Army School of Sports.[8]

Roles

The roles of the ZNA include defending Zimbabwe's territorial integrity, independence, sovereignty, socio economic well being, vital interests and participation in peacekeeping operations. Tasks undertaken by the ZNA to fulfil these roles include Conventional War Operations, Military Aid to Civil Power (which encompasses Counter Insurgency Operations and Internal Security Operations), Military Aid to Civil Ministries/Communities and Military Operations in Support of International Order and Humanitarian Assistance.[9]



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References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 , History, retrieved:26 Jun 2014"
  2. ↑ [Diana Mitchell, African Nationalist Leaders in Zimbabwe: Who’s Who 1980], "African Nationalist Leaders in Zimbabwe: Who’s Who 1980, (Cannon Press, Salisbury, 1980), Retrieved: 16 November 2020
  3. ↑ , Inside the Zimbabwe National Army - Entrenching Zanu PF Partisanship, Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition, published:19 Jan 2012,retrieved:26 Jun 2014"
  4. ↑ S. Charumbira, Play decries DRC war intervention, The Standard, published:20 Jan 2013,retrieved:26 Jun 2014"
  5. ↑ , Army of Lesser Africa Zimbabwe National Army],retrieved:26 Jun 2014"
  6. ↑ Freeman Razemba and Samantha Chipoyera, CDF challenges senior officers, The Herald, Published: January 5, 2018, Retrieved: July 8, 2021
  7. ↑ [Tom Cooper, Great Lakes Conflagration: The Second Congo War, 1998-2003], Hellion and Company Ltd, (Hellion and Company Ltd, Solihull, 2013), Retrieved: 4 October 2022
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 , Training, retrieved:26 Jun 2014"
  9. ↑ Roles,retrieved:26 Jun 2014"

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