By JOHN SAKALA
Zambian High Commissioner to Gernmany Anthony Mukwita says Zambia wants to increase the number of officers qualifying for long and short term military courses in the Federal Republic of Germany offered by the Bundeswehr Armed Forces of Germany.
Mr Mukwita said Zambia must increase the number of Zambian officers that benefit from these prestigious international military courses offered by the Bundeswehr.
He was speaking when he hosted the senior officer in charge of Training Assistance for Africa in Germany Lieutenant Colonel Ulrich Humpert on Tuesday in his office.
“I think it’s a great thing that Zambian officers that are predominantly English speaking have to learn Deutch first because it opens them up for careers in international organisations such as the UN in future through this engagement,” he said.
And Lt. Col. Humpert said Zambian officers are ‘highly rated’ by the German Armed Forces Office and it would be good to see more officers from the Zambia Airforce and the Zambia Army enroll in annual courses.
“On a scale of 1 to 10 Zambian officers I can rate Zambian officers at at 8 out of 10,” What we need now is to see the authorities in Lusaka send us more qualified officers with fitness certificates on time to help us with plan for things like visa’s and air tickets plus placement,” he said.
Annually, the Bundeswehr through its military corporation with Zambia that commenced around the 1980s offers some three short term slots, one for a year and two others for six months.
It also offers under grad and bachelor’s degree courses for senior military officers from 64 countries including Zambia that can run from five to seven years per officer as the officers have to learn Deutsch or German first.
Lt. Col Ulrich urged Mr Mukwita to engage directly Zambia Army Commander Lt General William Sikazwe and Zambia Air Force Commander Lt General David Muma to step up the submission of suitable names of candidates with fitness certificates to enroll for the courses via the ministry headquarters.
He also commended the past Defense Attaché of Zambia Colonel Christopher Lusaka whose tour of duty in Berlin recently came to an end saying.
Col. Lusaka is yet to be replaced hence the reason Col. Ulrich visited Zambian Embassy in Germany.
Some of degree courses Zambian military officers could benefit from are: electrical engineering and information technology, engineering science, defense systems, business administration, economics, political science, aerospace technology etc.
Zambia enjoys great diplomatic, economic and military relations with the Federal Republic of Germany which Mr Mukwita said his team in Berlin would enhance going forward.
This is according to a media statement made available to The Independent Observer by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at the Zambian Embassy in Berlin Kellys Kaunda.
