NewZimbabwe.com

DEPUTY Defence Minister Victor Matemadanda has told ordinary Zimbabweans that if they want access to basic commodities at subsidised prices, they should join the country defence forces.

The deputy minister who is also the Zanu PF national political commissar, was responding to a question on why the government last week announced the establishment of garrison shops for the armed forces leaving out the majority of civil servants and the ordinary citizens.

Matemadanda said the army cannot be compared with ordinary citizens as they had the responsibility of protecting the country and it would be unreasonable to treat the two groups, the same.

“The rest did not join the defence forces. We have gone to (the) DRC, we have gone to Somalia, we never invited civilians to go with them. Why didn’t they go if they want the same rights and privileges with soldiers,” said Matemadanda in an interview with NewZim TV.

He added: “If there are people that would want to have same privileges with soldiers then it will be the first of its kind. Zimbabwe will be the first country to be like that. It will be the first of our Zimbabweans to think that our soldiers should be treated like ordinary citizens.

“And then it would mean that when we have war in future, ordinary people should be prepared to go to war. Your grandmother should be prepared to go to war,” he said.

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