SIX state security officers fell at different intervals after failing to endure simmering temperatures during the Independence Day commemorations parade held at Chinhoyi Stadium Monday.
The officers were drawn from the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Airforce of Zimbabwe (AFZ), Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS).
The officers, four men and two women, had to be whisked away by alert paramedics.
A former ZNA member, who spoke to NewZimbabwe on condition of anonymity, said while it was acceptable to witness members of the uniformed forces fall during such events, the rate at which the parade elements fainted was a sign of lack of physical fitness.
“It is very rare to witness a parade recording such a high number of members collapsing for one reason or the other. This is clear testimony these guys lack physical fitness, and the training and retraining regime has slackened over the years,” said the retired soldier.
The venue was packed to the rafters as Chinhoyi residents and those from surrounding communities such as Alaska and Shackleton braved the hot weather to commemorate the 42nd independence.
In a rare show of camaraderie, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) members led by Chinhoyi Mayor, Councillor Garikai Dendera attended the commemorations.
The event, held under the theme Zim@42: Leaving No One And No Place Behind was the first physical edition to be convened since the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak two years ago.
— NewZimbabwe
