Rufaro Stadium thundered with patriotic pride on 12 August 2025 as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, saluted the men and women who stand as Zimbabwe’s shield and backbone. Marking 45 years of loyalty, sacrifice, and service, the President declared the ZDF not just a military power, but a nation-building force driving peace, stability, and socio-economic progress towards Vision 2030.
The celebrations, coming a day after Heroes Day, tied the past to the present, honouring liberation war heroes from ZANLA and ZIPRA whose courage birthed the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, while applauding today’s officers for upholding discipline, professionalism, and patriotism in a rapidly changing security landscape.
President Mnangagwa’s message was clear: the ZDF has evolved into a formidable, multifaceted institution ready to tackle modern threats from economic instability and climate change to cyber warfare, pandemics, and terrorism. The Forces’ humanitarian footprint continues to grow, from saving lives during floods in Gokwe, Domboshava, and Tokwe-Mukosi, to delivering grain to food-insecure areas and helping combat drug abuse.
The 2025 Community Assistance Week showcased the ZDF’s deep-rooted community impact, 29 education projects, four new clinics, and vital infrastructure for rural economies and traditional courts. These, the President stressed, are milestones in the march towards an empowered, upper-middle-income Zimbabwe.
On the international stage, Zimbabwe’s soldiers are proudly flying the national flag in peacekeeping missions under the UN, AU, and SADC, deployed in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, the DRC, Ethiopia, and at UN Headquarters. Defence partnerships with China, Russia, India, South Africa, and others reflect Zimbabwe’s growing diplomatic and security ties.
Manicaland’s recent declaration as mine-free, after decades of dangerous contamination, stands as a symbol of resilience and progress. Upgrades in healthcare, housing, and transport for the Forces, along with memorial projects in Mozambique and Angola honouring liberation heroes such as the late General Josiah Magama Tongogara, further cement the ZDF’s legacy.
With the rallying cry “Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatirwa nevene vayo / Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo”, President Mnangagwa reminded citizens that defending Zimbabwe’s sovereignty is a duty for all.
The 45th Defence Forces Day was not just a celebration, it was a powerful reaffirmation that the ZDF will remain the disciplined, trusted People’s Army, guaranteeing peace and stability as the nation advances boldly towards Vision 2030.
