Zimbabwe Defence Forces
| Zimbabwe Defence forces | |
|---|---|
| Mauto eZimbabwe | |
| File:Flag of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.svg Flag of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces | |
| Founded | 18 May 1980 |
| Service branches | File:Flag of the Zimbabwe National Army.svg Zimbabwe National Army File:Air Force Ensign of Zimbabwe.svg Air Force of Zimbabwe |
| Headquarters | Harare |
| Leadership | |
| President | Emmerson Mnangagwa |
| Minister of Defence | Oppah Muchinguri |
| Chief of Defence | Emmanuel Matatu |
| Personnel | |
| Conscription | N/A |
| Active personnel | 29,000 active[1] 21,800 paramilitary[1] (ranked 83rd) |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | $1.7 billion (2022)[2] |
| Percent of GDP | 2.16% (2018)[2] |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers | File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia Error creating thumbnail: China[3]  United StatesFile:Flag of Israel.svg Israel File:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore  Belgium United Kingdom |
| Related articles | |
| History | Military history of Zimbabwe |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Zimbabwe |
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) are the military forces responsible for the defence of Zimbabwe against external threats from other countries, and also to suppress internal armed factions. It is composed of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ). (As a landlocked country Zimbabwe does not have a navy). Since November 2025 the ZDF is headed by General Emmanuel Matatu.
Ministry of Defence
[edit | edit source]In July 1994 the combined Zimbabwe Defence Forces Headquarters was created.
Manpower
[edit | edit source]In 2007, the Zimbabwe National Army had an estimated strength of 29,000 and the Air Force of Zimbabwe had an estimated 4,000 men assigned.[4]
History
[edit | edit source]After a 15-year guerrilla war with black nationalist forces, culminating in a peace agreement in December 1979, Robert Mugabe became the first Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on 11 April 1980 following his ZANU–PF party winning the general election. Mugabe declared that integrating Zimbabwe's three armed forces would be one of Zimbabwe's top priorities. The existing Rhodesian Army was combined with the two guerrilla armies; the 20,000-strong Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) forces of ZANU–PF and the 15,000-strong Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) forces of PF-Zimbabwe African People's Union. A British Military Assistance and Training Team played a pivotal role in assisting the creation of the new army, and was still in place in 2000.[5] Meanwhile the Rhodesian Air Force was reorganised as the Air Force of Zimbabwe.
Mozambique Civil War
[edit | edit source]The Mozambique Civil War was a long-running conflict between the Marxist FRELIMO Government, and anti-communist RENAMO insurgents. During the 1970's, Rhodesian intelligence supported the rebel group, but in the years following the election of Robert Mugabe in 1980, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) switched to support the FRELIMO Government, in order to protect Zimbabwe's eastern city of Mutare and the strategic railway line to Mozambique's port city of Beira which were being attacked by RENAMO.[6]
Operation Restore Legacy
[edit | edit source]In October 2017, the ZDF was involved in a coup d'état which resulted in the resignation of long-serving President Robert Mugabe and the formation of a new government under Emmerson Mnangagwa.[7]
Notes
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b IISS 2019, p. 500.
- ^ a b IISS 2019, p. 499.
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References
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- Reuters Report
- Central Intelligence Organisation
- https://www.enca.com/africa/full-statement-by-zim-army-on-state-broadcaster Archived 2017-11-18 at the Wayback Machine
- Operation Restore Legacy
Further reading
[edit | edit source]- Abiodun Alao, 'The Metamorphosis of the Unorthodox: The Integration and Development of the Zimbabwe National Army' (chapter in book compiled by Terence Ranger, 'Soldiers in Zimbabwe's Liberation War'), 1995
- Norma J. Kriger, ‘Guerrilla Veterans in Post-war Zimbabwe: Symbolic and Violent Politics,’ 1980–1987, Cambridge UP, 2003
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- Zimbabwe Ministry of Defence Archived 2006-10-04 at the Wayback Machine