Perpetua Murungweni
Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA)’ 4:1 infantry brigade is commemorating the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) week in style by cleaning a number of institutions in Masvingo Province.
This was revealed by 4 brigade commander Brigadier General Ephious Mahachi during the commissioning of a classroom block built by the army at Hillside Primary School.
He said the ZDF designated a week of the heroes’ month to take soldiers out of the barracks into the community where they will assist the communities in any way possible.
The commander said the assistance can be from just cleaning places such as old age homes, schools or hospitals. It can also be donating to need people such as giving wheel chairs to the disabled.
“We have dedicated this week to give assistance to communities, the assistance we are rendering this week include cleaning Masvingo General Hospital and the Heroes Acre. Because of our numbers if we bring in for example 200 soldiers to assist a particular community they can make a difference in a short space of time.
“We are also going to clean Morgenster Mission, Ngomahuru Psychiatric Hospital and Chishavi Clinic in Chivi.
“In Gutu we are cleaning Mupandawana Rank, Gutu Rural Hospital and Chomsky Shopping Centre. In Chiredzi we are cleaning Chiredzi old and new Rank, Chiredzi General Hospital and Chambuta Children’s Home,” said Mahachi
He said the force also takes advantage of the week to hand over completed projects the army would have been working on.
“The ZDF week is the culmination of such assistance when we also handover other projects that may have been carried out or embarked over a long period such as the Hillside Primary School classroom block,” Mahachi said.
Mahachi also said that the gesture is to show the society that the army is a people’s force created to serve the people not to fight them.
“We reach out to communities to show the society that we are a people’s force created to serve the people not to fight them. We cannot be everywhere all the time but are ready and willing to assist wherever, whenever and in whatever way possible,” said Mahachi.
