Thursday, March 28, 2024

Government set Kawambwa as Headquarters for newly created Marine Unit in Zambia Army

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Government has set Kawambwa District in Luapula Province as the National Headquarters for the newly created Marine Unit in the Zambia Army.

Luapula Province Minister, Benson Kapaya, says the Marine Unit has been established to provide military defence of the Country’s major water bodies such as Lake Mweru, Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi River.

General Kapaya said this in Nchelenge when he met members of the District Development Coordinating Committee (DDCC) at the Council Chambers.

He said the Military Unit will be used to deter incursions by some of the neighbouring soldiers who are in a habit of harassing Zambian citizens.

The provincial minister assured the nation that the Marines are a well-trained unit that will help boost the defence system of the country.

Some of Zambia’s water bodies that border with neighbouring countries have over the years been experiencing insecurity.

Recently, a Nchelenge man of Kilwa Island on Lake Mweru was shot dead at point blank range by a soldier from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

ZANIS

48 COMMENTS

  1. Only a progressive gvt can think of such while the opposition are busy fighting it using international lawyers with no caliber

    • hahahah! it looks like kawa-galu is centerily located and the huge mass of water is concentrated there?? Geography!!!!! Basic sikolu education is important.. now it seems like some people took to witchcraft to get into leadership,,,,, thats why potato cut haunts them… juju has its limits…..vipuba imwe!!!!!

    • @Kwekwe, what is Kwekwe anyway, I think its that notorious bird, the blue-crow. That bird is noise man, especially if it sees a Cobra (Sata), it runs crazy, I don’t know if its in jubilation or its warning others, but I think its in praise of Cobra to strike so it can have a share. Kwekwe ukutumpa iwe.

    • Expand the skill set of existing army men to patrol the rivers and lakes on speedboats.No need to spend money establishing new bases for “marines” . ( I actually find this quite funny)

    • @ High Speed Black Mama..”Expanding the skill set of existing army men to patrol the rivers and lakes on speedboats”. And creating a Marine UNIT its one and the same thing.

    • YOU KNOW WHAT AM SAYING. THIS IS A CONSIDERATE AND THINKING GOVERNMENT. NOT IFISUSHI FILEFUMA KU MA OPPOSITION FIMOFIMO. I AM VERY HAPPY THIS BODY HAS BEEN FINALLY FORMED UP. IT HAS BEEN MY WISH AND CRY FOR THIS BODY. MORE PROFESIONAL JOBS FOR OUR YOUNG BOYS AND GIRLS. TWALYA, AGAIN.

  2. Big up to the government for this bold move.
    Great establishment by our Army. We boast of 40% water in southern africa but no security that such would demand.
    God bless mother Zambia.

    • While the defence of such large expanse of water bodies are important to the security of the nation, sadily we have failed to utilise these naturala resource.

      40% of the total water in the SADCC region is in Zambia but we have nothing to show for in improving agriculture, no water in homes, hospitals etc..why?

      With 8 neighbouring countries, Zambia has a ready market for almost anything from the agriculture, manufacturing..etc

      We are landlocked for a good reason. Lets move our country forward by thinking outside the box

  3. @Ndobo ulichilishilu .Yo HH will never b president .We shall never rest till o hopes for him are lost. Unpatriotic Zambian fit only to b in hell. Yours is a loosing battle. Bravo govt! Yo great works are being seen.Go on men and women!

    • @osmore
      you are so blindly bitter, i pity the people who brought you on earth because they are so unlucky!!
      and Its sad that you are very far from chainama.

    • Never say Never. Who thought Satan would be president today when he formed the PF 10 years ago?

  4. Should we really be increasing defense spending at a time when we have just removed food subsidies that would have benefited poor people? Or is this just another way of scoring points in job creations and in the process enriching selves through supply contracts?Zambia’s defense spending as a % of GDP is already higher than the Sub-Saharan Africa average.

    • @drive, what price do you put on safety and security of a nation? Ask the children and relatives of the fisherman who was killed in cold blood by marauding Congolese soldiers how they feel about!

      By the way, this will only be a ‘Unit’ within the army but with “specialized ability” to operate as a marine unit. Just like we have a commando unit within our army, and others have special forces within their armies, the Zambian version of the marine unit will exist and operate in like manner—specialized!

      The only thing the army is going to do is retrain some of its commanders/officers and soldiers to be marines. Specialized retraining is done all the time in our military—this isn’t new. And if recruits are channeled to this new unit, that’s normal too—the army need recruits.

    • @Yambayamba , food security and energy independence are also parts of overall National security. So what price do you put on food availability and affordability for the security of the nation?

    • @Yambayamba, why should safety in terms of armed forces be such a big issue all of a sudden? Kindly educate some of us so that we become wise and converse knowledgeably. We have survived without such and of late the world is seemingly becoming more peaceful.

    • @Goncalves, take a deep breath….and think again! I would urge you to ask those same Congolese who are trying to export insecurity to our borders why they have failed, for so many years now, to have “food security” in their country—my friend, it is because of their failure to provide “military security” first for that humongous rich country of theirs, simple!

      I bet the Zambian fisherman who was gunned down by these Congolese soldiers was trying to proved “food security” for his family, instead he ended up dead. Now you tell me how his family’s “food security” situation is at the moment—I would imagine quite precarious.

      Try a diet of military insecurity (domestic or foreign) in Zambia for just a year, and see how quickly your bogus theory will be chewed to shreds!

    • @Goncalves human life is paramount among all things. Our people along the borders are being harassed and killed mercilessly by renegade soldiers and militias from Congo and Angola. Even by policemen from Zimbabwe who patrol lake Kariba. Therefore government is justified to protect these people by setting up a wing that will guarantee their safety. In this way they can go about their daily lives without living in fear.

    • @Dull as usual, NO, this is NOT so sudden! If you are not old enough to remember please know that these military harassments and insecurities along our borders is not new. And where the situation as gotten out of control in the past (e.g. Zim-Zambia border, Mozambique-Zambia border, Angola-Zambia border, Namibia-Zambia border, etc.), our govt has always sent troops to deal with the situation.

      The only difference now is that these incursions by foreign troops into our country to harass and intimidate our fellow citizens is occurring on the bodies of water we share with our neighbors. Surely, you do NOT expect our govt to sit on its hands while our poor fishermen are being prevented from providing food and income for their families in peace and security, do you?

    • @yambayamba
      Then let them be clear that they are not establishing a new corp and a new dedicated base. ……and stop calling them marines.

  5. So part of the subsidies money will go towards buying Canoe vessels for the marine corps! This is all marabishi. These muppets just want to steal money!

  6. At times we should be greatful people. Just because you hate PF, does not mean Sata’s policies are wrong. This one is a blessing, ba kasai are killing their bululus in Luapula. Our Marines seals, or Ingwena will now be sorting them out.

    • @High Speed Black Mama, wechinagwa iwe! Even highly and well supplied armies like that of the USA know that you don’t send, even well trained ordinary soldiers, to go fight on water. Speed boats my @ss, you want to ask soldiers to start behaving like Mexican drag smugglers sneaking into Miami, USA?

      You are the very people who will be the first to laugh at these poor soldiers when they fail to perform to expectations, and condemn the govt for not providing specialized training for them. Now the govt is doing exactly the right thing to provide specialized training to a single unit to plug this security loophole and you asking for “speed boats” instead? And asking “half-baked” soldiers to go and face other countries’ armies? Really, how ridiculous can some of you people get kanshi?

    • &yambayamba
      So our soldiers are half-baked (your words) but these “marines” won’t? What’s gonna be different.

      You have rivers and lakes, not seas to secure. Start by simply calling them River patrol or something more apt.

      You have simply been seduced by the romantic notion of marines. White hats, uniforms, special operations……..the stuff you see here in the US.

      Once again, the politicians sell you grandiose ideas so they can perform a mediocre job and pocket the difference. You are easily duped.

  7. Well-done PF Govt.One thing i like about this Govt.is that of doing new things.Creation of districts,link Zambia 8000 KM road net work,building new Universities,Stadiums,Hospitals and Power Plants.Cheers PF and we salute you your HE CM Sata

  8. More budget over-spends on completely useless expenditure, its very difficult for us who support the removal of subsidises when these guys can’t maintain a lean budget.

    • I don’t agree with you on this one Jay-Jay. Territorial integrity and security of the citizens are very important for any country even before you start to talk about development. How can our people along the borders even farm,fish or do business if they are being constantly harassed and killed by renegade soldiers from neighboring countries?

  9. @osmore
    you are blindly bitter i pity the people who brought you on earth because they are so unlucky!!
    and Its sad that you are very far from chainama.

  10. I come from an area around Lake Mweru, what the government has done is commendable, people have been at the mercy of the gendarmes from Congo for too long, let them be protected now

  11. Disclaimer: ignorant on marine issues

    Marines in Zambia? Wouldn’t ordinary soldiers serve to protect the shores and lakes? Do we require submarines? Or just armed soldiers on speedboats?

    • Below is the definition I found for Marine

      Adjective
      Of, found in, or produced by the sea: “marine plants”; “marine biology”.

      THE SEA PEOPLE!! WTF?

  12. Marine Unit is welcome in Zambia. BUT Kawambwa is the worst location for this unit. One would have imagined this unit could be on one of our boarders like Nchelenge, siavongo etc.. Come PF you can do better than this. This unit and its location will have huge operational cost…

    • @panafricanist
      when you tell these people the truth like you are,,,, they say that you are bittter

      Very good and valid points you got there man!!

  13. I thought we already have enough security wings and personnel to deal with security of our waters. Besides, this is more of a Home Affairs issue. If feel we are using a hammer to kill a fly. I wonder what greater good PF cadres are seeing in this move, especially after doing away with meali meal subsdies, and increasing fuel by a big margin. PF cadres simply amaze me; they are dengerous and the worst form of cadres we have ever had.

  14. @Ndobo ,u just told me that i was bitter .So l told u the truth ulichisilu.learn to debate in a civil manner as educated as u claim. There is no logic in seeing everything black in whatever yo compititor does .This is the madness we are seeing in u

  15. Does Zambia need security on it’s borders? YES.Do we need to set new units for the purpose of maintaing security?No!he current Army personel can be retrained and equipped for the puspose of patrolling the Zambian waters.Who maintains security on our borders,is it the border patrol unit or the Zambia army personel?So do we need to form the border patrol unit wich will be trained in marine war fare?

  16. I can’t believe that people are endorsing more expenditure, just because its packaged differently!

    MARINES.?????????!!!!!!! Fcuk Me!!!!!!

    stop this marine nonsense – what an embarassment to present a Zambian marine unit when the country is landlocked.

    We need existing soldiers to take on this duty. Period.

  17. Utumano ubunono.Who can even listen to u when everything the govt does is bad? U must b ignored and let men nd women of actions continue to do so.U don’t need submerines alone to b trained in merine.We’ve so many water bodies hence this wing.

  18. “ZAMBEZI EXPRESS’ as to what your question is, the thing is yes a new unit is being set but using the same soldiers in our army mind you like some are asking as to why already existing soldiers cant carry out that task, country men it doesn’t work like you think these soldiers need special training to do such a task even in USA not every soldier is a marine, same applies to Zambia army we have commandos but they are different from ordinary soldiers. so the same soldiers we have will receive special skills to undertake that task.Development move side by side with security lets up hold our national security and hope for a more stable Zambia amen.

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