Cablegate: Zimbabwe's Armed Forces Recruitment Ages

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ9843

PAGE 01 HARARE 02614 051535Z
ACTION MEDE-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 AMAD-00 USNW-00 WHA-00 EB-00
UTED-00 H-01 TEDE-00 LAB-01 L-00 OIG-03 OPIC-01
PER-01 IRM-00 SS-00 TEST-00 DRL-02 SAS-00 /009W
------------------1B0AED 051536Z /48
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9644
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
USDOC WASHDC
DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

UNCLAS HARARE 002614

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/S, AF/EPS, EB/IFD/ODF, EB/TPP/ODC
USDOC FOR 2037 ERIC HENDERSON
PASS USTR/RWHITTAKER
PASS OPIC FOR RNEHRA
ILAB FOR RSHEPHARD
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER
LONDON FOR CGURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE'S ARMED FORCES RECRUITMENT AGES

REF: STATE 149572

1. PER REFTEL REQUEST, POST PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING
INFORMATION ON THE RECRUITMENT PRACTICES AND AGE
RESTRICTIONS OF ZIMBABWE'S MILITARY FORCES.

-- THE MANDATORY MINIMUM, VOLUNTARY RECRUITMENT AGE FOR
MILITARY SERVICE IS 18. (ALL RECRUITMENT INTO THE MILITARY
IS VOLUNTARY AND THERE IS NO DRAFT OR CONSCRIPTION. GIVEN A
FORMAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE EXCEEDING 60 PERCENT, THERE IS NO
DEARTH OF CANDIDATES WHEN APPLICATIONS FOR INTAKE ARE
ACCEPTED, RATHER, VERY LONG QUEUES ARE THE NORM.)

-- AGE VERIFICATION OF RECRUITMENT CANDIDATES IS VIA BIRTH
CERTIFICATES AND THE NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD.

-- POST IS NOT AWARE OF ANY CREDIBLE REPORTS OF THE
EXISTENCE OF MINORS OR THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 SERVING IN
THE MILITARY IN ZIMBABWE

-- VOLUNTEERS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 ARE NOT ACCEPTED INTO
MILITARY FORCES.

ROTH

UNCLASSIFIED

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