Parliament To Discuss Controversial Chinese Military Academy

Parliament was hastily recalled by President Robert Mugabe last week despite adjournment of the House until June.

The military and defence college, a project launched by Mugabe in 2007, is situated at Chitamba Farm in Mazowe Valley. It is being touted as an intelligence academy to train security experts in the country.

“The important role of defending our country cannot be left to mediocre officers incapable of comprehending and analytically evaluating the operational environment to ensure that the sovereignty of our state is not only preserved, but enhanced,” Mugabe said at the launch.

Addressing parliament last year, Minister of Defence Emmerson Mnangangwa said the military facility will, “serve as a premier defence education centre in Zimbabwe especially training in the field of national security.” He also said it will also be used to select the military and civilian officers from the various segments of the society to represent the country in various capacities. In addition he said it will also act as a think tank for providing research, military, defence and national security studies for the national Security Council, ministry of defence and other national institutions.

Security experts have in the past described it as “a techno-spy and communication base” whose purpose will be to spy on communications in and outside the country.