# Zimbabwe Defence Forces > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Zimbabwe_Defence_Forces > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Zimbabwe_Defence_Forces.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe_Defence_Forces > Source revision: 1340143890 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Combined military forces of Zimbabwe}} {{Infobox national military | name = Zimbabwe Defence forces | native_name = Mauto eZimbabwe | image = 250px | alt = | caption = Flag of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces | image2 = | alt2 = | caption2 = | motto = | founded = {{Start date and age|1980|5|18|df=yes}} | current_form = | disbanded = | branches = {{army|Zimbabwe}}
{{air force|Zimbabwe}} | headquarters = [Harare](/source/Harare) | flying_hours = | website = | commander-in-chief = [Emmerson Mnangagwa](/source/Emmerson_Mnangagwa) | commander-in-chief_title = President | chief minister = | chief minister_title = | minister = [Oppah Muchinguri](/source/Oppah_Muchinguri) | minister_title = [Minister of Defence](/source/Ministry_of_Defence_(Zimbabwe)) | commander = [Emmanuel Matatu](/source/Emmanuel_Matatu) | commander_title = [Chief of Defence](/source/Chief_of_Defence_(Zimbabwe)) | age = | conscription = N/A | active = 29,000 active{{sfn|IISS|2019|p=500}}
21,800 paramilitary{{sfn|IISS|2019|p=500}} | ranked = 83rd | reserve = | deployed = | amount = $1.7 billion (2022){{sfn|IISS|2019|p=499}} | percent_GDP = 2.16% (2018){{sfn|IISS|2019|p=499}} | domestic_suppliers = | foreign_suppliers = {{flag|Russia}}
{{China}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/24457/as-the-u-s-disengages-russia-ramps-up-aid-and-arms-sales-to-sub-saharan-africa|title=As the U.S. Disengages, Russia Ramps up Aid and Arms Sales to Sub-Saharan Africa}}
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{{flag|United Kingdom}} | imports = | exports = | history = [Military history of Zimbabwe](/source/Military_history_of_Zimbabwe) | ranks = [Military ranks of Zimbabwe](/source/Military_ranks_of_Zimbabwe) }} The '''Zimbabwe Defence Forces''' ('''ZDF''') are the [military forces](/source/military_forces) responsible for the defence of [Zimbabwe](/source/Zimbabwe) against external threats from other countries, and also to suppress internal armed factions. It is composed of the [Zimbabwe National Army](/source/Zimbabwe_National_Army) (ZNA) and the [Air Force of Zimbabwe](/source/Air_Force_of_Zimbabwe) (AFZ). (As a [landlocked country](/source/landlocked_country) Zimbabwe does not have a navy). Since November 2025 the ZDF is headed by General [Emmanuel Matatu](/source/Emmanuel_Matatu). ==Ministry of Defence== In July 1994 the combined [Zimbabwe Defence Forces Headquarters](/source/Ministry_of_Defence_(Zimbabwe)) was created. ==Manpower== In 2007, the Zimbabwe National Army had an estimated strength of 29,000 and the Air Force of Zimbabwe had an estimated 4,000 men assigned.{{cite book|author=The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)|author-link=International Institute for Strategic Studies |title=The Military Balance 2007 |year=2007 |publisher=Routledge Journals |location=[Abingdon](/source/Abingdon%2C_Oxfordshire) |isbn=978-1-85743-437-8 }} Page 299. == History == {{main|Military history of Zimbabwe}} After a 15-year [guerrilla war](/source/Rhodesian_Bush_War) with black nationalist forces, culminating in a [peace agreement](/source/Lancaster_House_Agreement) in December 1979, [Robert Mugabe](/source/Robert_Mugabe) became the first Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on 11 April 1980 following his [ZANU–PF](/source/ZANU%E2%80%93PF) party winning the [general election](/source/1980_Southern_Rhodesian_general_election). Mugabe declared that integrating [Zimbabwe](/source/Zimbabwe)'s three armed forces would be one of Zimbabwe's top priorities. The existing [Rhodesian Army](/source/Rhodesian_Army) was combined with the two guerrilla armies; the 20,000-strong [Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army](/source/Zimbabwe_African_National_Liberation_Army) (ZANLA) forces of ZANU–PF and the 15,000-strong [Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army](/source/Zimbabwe_People's_Revolutionary_Army) (ZIPRA) forces of PF-[Zimbabwe African People's Union](/source/Zimbabwe_African_People's_Union). A British Military Assistance and Training Team played a pivotal role in assisting the creation of the new army, and was still in place in 2000.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/uk-urged-to-keep-force-in-zimbabwe-719089.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/uk-urged-to-keep-force-in-zimbabwe-719089.html |archive-date=2022-05-07 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | location=London | work=The Independent | title=UK urged to keep force in Zimbabwe | date=16 April 2000}}{{cbignore}} Meanwhile the [Rhodesian Air Force](/source/Rhodesian_Air_Force) was reorganised as the [Air Force of Zimbabwe](/source/Air_Force_of_Zimbabwe). === Mozambique Civil War === {{Main|Mozambique Civil War}} The [Mozambique Civil War](/source/Mozambican_Civil_War) was a long-running conflict between the Marxist [FRELIMO](/source/FRELIMO) Government, and anti-communist [RENAMO](/source/RENAMO) insurgents. During the 1970's, [Rhodesian intelligence](/source/Central_Intelligence_Organisation) supported the rebel group, but in the years following the election of Robert Mugabe in 1980, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) switched to support the [FRELIMO](/source/FRELIMO) Government, in order to protect Zimbabwe's eastern city of [Mutare](/source/Mutare) and the strategic railway line to Mozambique's port city of [Beira](/source/Beira%2C_Mozambique) which were being attacked by RENAMO.{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe's Military Involvement in Mozambique1982 - 1992 |url=http://ccrweb.ccr.uct.ac.za/archive/defencedigest/defdigest03.html |website=SACDI Defence Digest |access-date=17 May 2024 |archive-date=5 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205234951/http://ccrweb.ccr.uct.ac.za/archive/defencedigest/defdigest03.html |url-status=dead }} ===Operation Restore Legacy=== {{Main|2017 Zimbabwean coup d'état}} In October 2017, the ZDF was involved in a coup d'état which resulted in the resignation of long-serving President [Robert Mugabe](/source/Robert_Mugabe) and the formation of a new government under [Emmerson Mnangagwa](/source/Emmerson_Mnangagwa).{{Cite news|last=Cropley|first=MacDonald Dzirutwe, Joe Brock, Ed|date=2017-11-27|title=Special Report: 'Treacherous shenanigans' - The inside story of Mugabe's downfall|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-zimbabwe-politics-mugabe-specialrepor-idUSKBN1DQ0AG|access-date=2021-05-30}} ==Notes== ==References== * {{cite web |title=Zimbabwe |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/zimbabwe/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110102902/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/zimbabwe |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 10, 2021 |website=The World Factbook |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en |date=4 May 2022}} * {{cite book| title=The Military Balance 2019| author1=International Institute for Strategic Studies| author-link1=International Institute for Strategic Studies| date=15 February 2019| publisher=[Routledge](/source/Routledge)| location=[London](/source/London)| isbn=9781857439885| ref={{sfnref|IISS|2019}} }} * [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-zimbabwe-politics-mugabe-specialrepor/special-report-treacherous-shenanigans-the-inside-story-of-mugabes-downfall-idUSKBN1DQ0AG Reuters Report] * Central Intelligence Organisation * https://www.enca.com/africa/full-statement-by-zim-army-on-state-broadcaster {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118063021/http://www.enca.com/africa/full-statement-by-zim-army-on-state-broadcaster |date=2017-11-18 }} * [https://news.pindula.co.zw/2017/11/17/zrp-support-unit-attempted-to-arrest-general-chiwenga-when-he-returned-from-china/ Operation Restore Legacy] ==Further reading== *Abiodun Alao, 'The Metamorphosis of the Unorthodox: The Integration and Development of the Zimbabwe National Army' (chapter in book compiled by Terence Ranger, 'Soldiers in Zimbabwe's Liberation War'), 1995 *Norma J. Kriger, ‘Guerrilla Veterans in Post-war Zimbabwe: Symbolic and Violent Politics,’ 1980–1987, Cambridge UP, 2003 *{{Cite web |last=Ministry of Defence - H/Q |date=2011 |title=The Zimbabwe Defence Forces: Resolute in defence of national gains, peace and security |url=http://www.defence.gov.zw/ |access-date=27 May 2022 |website=Ministry of Defence |archive-date=24 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824173133/http://www.defence.gov.zw/ |url-status=dead }} ==External links== *[http://www.mod.gov.zw/ Zimbabwe Ministry of Defence] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004055939/http://www.mod.gov.zw/ |date=2006-10-04 }} {{Zimbabwe topics}} {{Military of Zimbabwe}} {{Military of Africa}} Category:Military of Zimbabwe --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Zimbabwe Defence Forces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe_Defence_Forces) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe_Defence_Forces?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.