ZIMBABWE National Army (ZNA) commander, Lieutenant-General Anselem Sanyatwe has called for closer ties and security co-operation among southern African member States to promote unity and peace in honour of the late former Tanzanian President Julius Mwalimu Nyerere.
Sanyatwe said this yesterday in Tanzania during a commemorative dialogue in honour of Nyerere.
Former Presidents Thabo Mbeki (South Africa) and Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania) were also lined up as speakers.
Nyerere served as the founding President of Tanzania, previously Tanganyika, from 1964 until his retirement in 1985.
He was the first African head of State to retire voluntarily.
He died on October 14, 1999.
Sanyatwe said southern Africa enjoyed relative peace and stability owing to Nyerere’s vision as one of the founding fathers of the Organisation of African Unity and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).
“To date, sister armed forces in the region continue to ride on Mwalimu’s vision by subscribing students and instructors to each other’s military training institutions through bilateral arrangements,” he said.
“Mwalimu Nyerere’s vision for peace and stability in the region was crystalised through the establishment of the Sadc regional peacekeeping training centre in Harare, Zimbabwe.
“Mwalimu’s vision of regional unity also led to co-operation mechanisms, like Sadc and East African Community that have reinforced political stability and security co-operation in post-independence.
“When conflicts threatened one nation, others supported diplomatically and with peacekeeping and enforcement forces.”
Sanyatwe said joint training and equipment sharing between defence forces as well as information sharing among security services could reinforce stability in the region.
The army general said the region and Africa as a whole faced instability owing to threats of terrorism and foreign interference.
“Though colonialism’s shadows linger and foreign forces push their agendas, our strength is in our shared history and Pan African identity,” Sanyatwe said.
“By deepening economic and social ties across this region through our own solutions and values, defending each other’s sovereignty as stated, we can curb foreign interference and forge our own prosperous destiny.”
Sanyatwe served as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Tanzania between 2019 and 2023.
He also received some military training in Tanzania, having arrived in that country at a tender age.