Harare, (New Ziana)-Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries should continue developing their human resources as a cornerstone of regional defence cooperation and operational success, a senior official has said.

‎Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) chief of staff Supporting Services, Air Vice Marshal Selebale Maswera said this at the opening of a two-day SADC Human Resources Working Group Annual General Meeting in Harare on Tuesday.

He emphasized the critical role of human capital in meeting the modern defence and security needs of the region.

AVM Maswera commended the presence of officers from the member states, saying it was a strong testament to the unity and cordial relations that the SADC defence forces share.

‎”The human resource is the most important and precious element of all resources. It is a vital tool in the success of military operational needs of the twenty-first century”, he said.

‎He urged HR practitioners from the various defence forces to act with professionalism and integrity, underscoring the importance of deploying personnel according to their qualifications and capabilities.

AVM Maswera encouraged the Working Group to develop staffing templates aligned with the SADC recruitment policy and operational goals.

‎He highlighted that Zimbabwe, as the current chair of the Working Group, had enjoyed a fruitful tenure marked by productive collaborations.

These included co-hosting a virtual meeting with the Defence Legal Working Group and engaging with the Logistics Working Group in Botswana on matters concerning the staffing of the SADC Logistics Depot in Gaborone, he said.

‎As Zimbabwe prepares to hand over the chairmanship of Working Group at the close of the two-day meeting, is focusing on strategic planning, training, and regional defence capacity development, AVM Maswera expressed confidence that the deliberations would yield meaningful resolutions and strengthen regional ties.

He encouraged participants to also use the forum to network and build camaraderie as “brothers and sisters of one family.”

New Ziana