Lt Col Jagada takes helm of 5 .1 Infantry Battalion

By Kwedu News

Lieutenant Colonel Ngonidzashe Jagada has been appointed the new Commander of the 5.1 Infantry Battalion, where he immediately stressed the importance of discipline and unity within the force during his inaugural address.
The handover-takeover ceremony, marking a significant transition in leadership, was meticulously overseen by Commander 5 Brigade, Brigadier-General Lawrence Munzararikwa.
Lt Col Jagada takes over the command from outgoing Lieutenant Colonel Truman Nkiwane, who has been posted to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Headquarters. Prior to this appointment, Lt Col Jagada served as a Grade One Staff officer at the Army Headquarters, bringing a wealth of strategic experience to his new role.
In his inaugural speech, Lt Col Jagada acknowledged the profound responsibilities inherent in his new position.
"I’m quite aware of the magnitude of the responsibility that comes with the appointment, and I assure my commanders that I will do everything in my power to command, train and administer my unit as required so that it is prepared for its constitutional mandate of defending the motherland, Zimbabwe," he stated, pledging to lead the battalion with excellence.
The incoming commander paid tribute to his predecessor, Lt Col Nkiwane, commending the strong foundation laid for the unit's success since 2022. "I appreciate the great role that Lt Col Trueman Nkiwane played from the time he joined the unit… I will surely benefit from your wealth of experience. I will do my best to follow in his footsteps and even improve from where he left off the unit," Lt Col Jagada remarked.
He further highlighted the battalion's illustrious history of successful operations, both internally and externally, citing missions in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and recent domestic engagements such as Operation Muzarabani and the RCT final field training exercise at RTD.
"It is my wish that as a unit, we continue to register such successes in all our assigned tasks. I want to be part of the future success stories that will be told about the unit and the brigade, ‘MBADA INORUMA BRIGADE’,” he declared, expressing his ambition for continued achievement.
To realize his vision, Lt Col Jagada called for unwavering support and commitment from all personnel. “This posting has given me a lifetime identity in the military and beyond. To all 5.1 Infantry Battalion officers and NCMS, I demand your total support and commitment to duty. Teamwork is my best bet, let’s work as a team and win as a team," he urged, reminding them of their motto, "Determined as ever."
Emphasizing a core military principle, he added, “I urge you to remain disciplined and focused. We all know that discipline is the cornerstone of the military; an undisciplined force is a security threat itself. Let’s remain a disciplined and coherent force that is ready to undertake its constitutional obligation whenever it is called upon to do so.”
Outgoing Commander, Lt Col Nkiwane, also addressed the troops, urging them to extend their full cooperation to the new leadership. "We did many programmes in this area, and I am happy that the battalion has produced recognised military leaders, and I want to implore our officers to continue supporting the incoming officer commanding," he said.
With Lt Col Jagada at the helm, the 5.1 Infantry Battalion is poised to uphold its tradition of excellence and make significant contributions to national security and defence.