The ManicaPost
Luke Mafere Post Reporter—
TWO potential recruits died recently during a Zimbabwe National Army recruitment exercise in Mutare which recorded a massive turn-out.Clayton Nhaitai from Bemhiwa Village in Mutasa and Jacob Nyakonda from Nyakonda Village in Makoni collapsed and died during the recruitment exercise, which included a road run exercise.
The two potential recruits were among an estimated 6 000 people who thronged Headquarters 3 Infantry Brigade for the exercise last Thursday.
Deputy Commander 3 Infantry Brigade, Colonel Joel Muzvidziwa, confirmed the unfortunate incident and said: “It is not only sad, but very unfortunate that young lives of Clayton Nhaitai and Jacob Nyakonda were lost at a time when they had made a noble choice to protect the nation. This often happens when people push themselves beyond their capacity and in this case it was for the sole fact that they wanted to be selected as potential recruits.”
He added that ZNA often encourages people to ensure physical fitness before such programmes as they are very rigorous.
Nhaitai was buried in Bemhiwa Village, while Nyakonda was buried in Nyakonda Village.
“We were with the bereaved families from the start to the end and these potential recruits were afforded a State assisted funeral,” said Col Muzvidziwa.
This year’s recruitment exercise recorded a massive turnout, with hundreds of potential recruits thronging HQ 3 Brigade two days before the main exercise to register.
ZNA authorities had a torrid time to accommodate and feed the potential recruits as most of them came from distant places.
“As a formation we were prepared for this overwhelming response because we had not recruited for the past four years. This created anxiety for the thousands of young people from the province whose genuine desire is to serve and protect the nation. It was, however, not by design that we go for such a long period without injecting new blood into the system, but this was due to circumstances beyond our control,” said Col Muzvidziwa.
He said ZNA also makes sure that there was equal representation from all the seven districts of Manicaland.
“The province has its own allocation in terms of numbers and in turn we also give due diligence to equal representation by districts, hence we aim at recruiting 50 potential recruits from each and every district in Manicaland,” he said.
