Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Officer Cadets have been challenged to pursue every opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
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President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera made the challenge during the Officer Cadets Commissioning Parade, which took place at Malawi Armed Forces College (MAFCO) in Salima on Friday.
“As you embark on this remarkable journey, I urge you to keep your passion for service alive. Let it be a flame that lights your path towards a life of purpose. Let it be an example that inspires those around you to reach their full potential. Let it be a motivation to pursue every opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others,” said the President.
Chakwera reminded the graduands that the first qualification for service is faithfulness and not technical skill or professional performance.
He challenged the cadets to discharge their duties with diligence and professionalism if they are to win and sustain public trust.
“It is possible to be highly educated and skilled, but not be faithful, and if you are not faithful, then the people you serve lose their trust in you, and once trust is lost, so is your ability to lead, because what makes you a leader is the trust that others have in you. So remember that as officers, what you have received today is not just a commissioning, but a trust. From here, you will be entrusted with the welfare and protection of your fellow citizens. You will be entrusted with the rescue of lives. You will be entrusted with the proper use of public resources. You will be entrusted with the security of our borders. And the first thing you must prove to yourself, to God, and to your country is your faithfulness,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Chakwera has acknowledged that MDF is facing numerous challenges due to the prevailing economic conditions.
He said while he is personally committed to promoting the welfare of the men and women in uniform and ensuring that they accomplish various programmes and projects MDF has embarked on, he encouraged the leadership of the MDF to embrace a culture of self-reliance.
“Instead of only asking, ‘Where can we go to find resources for our military?” you need to also ask, ‘What can we do to maximize the resources our military already has?’” he emphasized.
Chakwera also deplored the culture of spending public money on ‘useless things while neglecting the essentials that would make our military stronger is a culture that needs to change’.
“We need to make the most with the resources we have, because that is what a faithful soldier does, and that is the approach I command all of you newly commissioned cadets to have,” said Chakwera.
