President Rupiah Banda has urged the Zambia Army to be vigilant and preserve the peace as the country heads for the 2011 tripartite elections.
President Banda said election years are critical because of people’s high expectation and desperation.
He urged the army to be watchful and alert because it is during elections that the security of the nation is often at risk.
The President said this in a speech read for him by Defense Minister Kalombo Mwansa during the Color Consecration parade at Luena Barracks in Kaoma .
President Banda who was present at the event was not able to address the parade because of loss of voice due to a cough.
President Banda said voters would be looking to the men and women in uniform to preserve and uphold conditions of peace and safety in the communities, districts and provinces.
He said the lives of the citizenry were always far more important than political options.
The President urged them to look out for children, women, the aged, the disabled and other vulnerable persons in 2011.
President Banda implored them to begin to see themselves as parents of the people of Zambia and work for all citizens without fear or favour and above all do their work with faith and hope in the lord Jesus Christ.
The 5th Battalion of the Zambia Regiment was established in 1979 but has only been presented with colours today.
The Battalion unit has a rich history with important accomplishments realized by both present and past service men and women.
Army Commander Lieutenant General Wisdom Lopa said the consecration of colours on Luena Barracks is yet another milestone in the history of the Zambia Army.
He said the event was long overdue as the battalion was formed over 30 years ago.
The President also promised that government would improve conditions of service and facilities for the army.
He said this will help boost moral in the army.
President Banda implored the Zambia Army to be always mindful of the changing trends in defence and security.
President Banda said defence and security trends have changed over the years noting that the way they were handled twenty years ago is not the same as today.
He noted that today’s challenges of defence include terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, natural disasters, food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and poverty all of which require the attention of the Army.
The President said realities of nature, place new demands on all officers in the 5th battalion of the Zambia Regiment and this calls for constant review of approaches and methods in preserving the peace and security of the country.
He further called for frequent retraining of all officers so that everyone is kept informed and up to date with new ways and means of handling today’s defence and security.
Mr. Banda said the well being of men and women in uniform requires a review of conditions of service, new housing units, more and better transport, new and modern equipment, renovation of rundown infrastructure, recruitment of more staff as well as further training to sharpen professionalism.
The president further said the people of Zambia and the Government appreciate deeply the unquestionable dedication of all Army officers who have secured boarders since 1964 stressing that it was no small achievement.
And army commander Wisdom Lopa thanked government for the support rendered to the army even during the global crisis.
Meanwhile President Banda left for Lusaka. The Presidential Chopper left Kaoma Airstrip at about 16:03 hours.
The army deals with external threats and not trained to control civilians.You risk it fracturing into support for different candidates and thereby undermining its proffessionalism.It is supposed to remain apolitical at all times and the best way is to keep it out of dealing with internal dirty politics.
Well done President Banda and the Zambian state,some of us definately support the beefing up of the Military in the Western region, it is needed to ensure that both internal(Secesionists) and external threats are contained and dealt with..
Why go there if you are not in good health in the first place. VOICE GONE COZ OF A COUGH. isnt this drama in itself? hehehe i cant help laughing at this nonsense. I wonder how the western media would interprete this. CATASTROPHY IN ITSELF.
using the army on civillians? this man will bring blood shed if he is not checked.Ican read between the lines. army or not uleya,
Chi RB, chiwelewele. If he is in Brazil or China, that voice would have come back. I blame that Levy for all this nonsense. If only he appointed a younger VP (excluding ka kunda), things would have been much better for Zed.
True Army should be vigilant of MMD thugs, William Banda led militia are training alone Mumbwa road everyday.
:o Yaba, twa fwa next year. RB be real. You want them to shoot us for opposing your rigging. Old leach.
Imbwa ya mukali taichenjela
How cn a presdent b so hypocrite?hes thugs r the ones who causes violence and he remaind annoyingly quiet.2day hes preachn peace,wht does he take us 4?
y shld u critiz anything and everytin that the rezndt does thats ****** get a life and get busy typicap africans
i belive the army is there to protect us aganist foreign enemies and be against any uprising within the country. Now the Zambian Police can somone please explain to me their duties apart from arresting crimminals and harassing political opponents to the ruling party. And what can stop the next goverment to use the police to their advantage.
the whole thing is political,useless government and army of zambia,all corrupt
This was an excellent speech and the President showed that he is abreast with the present times. Even war craft has changed now. The most sophisticated armies in the world with 100s of 1000s of troupa are failing to defeat a handful of pata pata footed bearded Taliban on one hand and then there is the sophisticated cyber crime on the other hand. This means that we need a smaller but technically more efficient army. We need more University graduates.
This islooks like the same speech that was made in Chipata at Gondar Barracks. Any case why cant the army change names of barracks like Tug Urgan , Chindwin, Kohima, Arakan, Burma. This still represents the colonial tug. I know these are palces in Burma where the British troops scored some victories against then occupying Imperial Japan. Does it mean from its formation at attainment of Independence on 24/10/64 our Army has never scored some victories even during the liberation wars. Come on board former and serving officers with new names. Or simply name some of these old barracks with foreign names after some deserving men and women who have served this country with distinctions. This is one area that has not received the attention of the powers be. Names of towns were changed then.