By Lekereni Chinkhota

Salima, July 15, Mana: Malawi Defence Force (MDF) has stressed its commitment to equip its new junior officers with disaster management skills, as a way of helping the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) on disaster management and response.

The remarks were made by College Commandant, Col. Enoch Ntonya on Monday, at the Command and Staff College in Salima during the official opening ceremony of Junior Command and Staff Course 5 of 2024.

He said MDF has integrated disaster management education as a way to help people when disasters hit the country as well as to work hand in hand with the civilians on what to do during chaotic times.

“We want our officers to start understanding disaster management at the tactic level so that as they grow they already have a grasp of whatever they are supposed to do and how they are supposed to do in supporting government during disaster,” Ntonya said.

The College Commandant added that, “As Staff College, we believe that disaster management is not the responsibility of the military or DoDMA alone, it is a whole government approach so what is required of us is the integration of military efforts and civilian efforts."

MDF Commander Land Forces, Major General Chikunkha Soko noted that the staff college was doing a commendable job in training junior officers.

“After four years of opening this institution, we have managed to maintain good standards to the extent that most of the countries in the SADC region want to send their students here because of the reputation we have built and the services we deliver,” he said.

Soko has urged the newly registered students to adhere military values as a way of maintaining good reputation of the college.

He emphasized discipline, planning, sacrifice, teamwork and unwavering dedication from the students for them to sail through their training.

The Junior Command and Staff Course 5 of 2024 have registered 30 students with 23 local students and seven international students from Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia.