By Victor Simz

TRAINING 

Training Officers and Servicemen/Women

With the passing of the ZNS Act of 1971 (CAP 136, later CAP 121), the Zambia National Service was given a dual mandate:

  • To train citizens in military skills for national defence.

  • To equip them with vocational and productive skills for nation-building.

First Training Abroad

The very first ZNS officer cadets were trained in Tanzania, following a 1971 Bilateral Agreement between Zambia and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Tanzania already had its own National Service, the Jeshi La Kujenga Taifa (JKT), and Zambia drew valuable lessons from this established model.

Local Training in Zambia

Alongside training in Tanzania, ZNS cadets began receiving instruction at home:

  • Zambia Military Academy (ZMA) – at the Military Training Establishment of Zambia (MILTEZ) in Kabwe.

  • Zambia Air Force Academy (ZAFA) – in Livingstone, for specialised courses.

Over the years, ZNS steadily built its own training capacity.

ZNS Training Schools

Today, ZNS proudly trains its own officers and servicemen/women at:

  • ZNS Kafue Training School – for officer cadets.

  • ZNS Kabwe Training School – for other ranks.

This marks a transformation from reliance on foreign institutions to self-sufficiency in training, making ZNS one of Zambia's key pillars in both defence and national development.

Compulsory Military Training for School Leavers (1976–1981)

In the 1970s, Zambia faced growing security threats from hostile regimes in the region. To strengthen national defence and instill discipline among the youth, the Government introduced a Compulsory Military Training Programme in 1976 for all Form Five (Grade 12) school leavers.

The Training Journey

  • 6 months of basic military training:
    Cadets learned weapons handling, drills, fieldcraft, and military discipline.

  • 14 months of production training:
    Youths were trained in agriculture, engineering, and vocational skills to support Zambia's development.

Total duration: 20 months of service.

Training Camps Across the Country

To cope with the surge in numbers, ZNS expanded its training camps nationwide. Some of the key camps included:

  • ZNS Chishimba – Kasama

  • ZNS Luamfumu – Mansa

  • ZNS Chiwoko – Katete

  • ZNS Kamitonte – Solwezi

  • ZNS Mushili – Ndola

  • ZNS Kafue – Lusaka

These camps became centers of both defence readiness and nation-building skills.

End of the Programme

Although successful in training thousands of youths, the programme was suspended in 1981 due to financial constraints. Its legacy, however, lives on in the generations of Zambians who passed through ZNS training, gaining both discipline and life skills.

Supporting Namibia's Liberation Victims (1985–1986)

During the Namibian Liberation Struggle of the 1980s, hundreds of Namibians injured in the conflict sought refuge in Zambia. Many were amputees or battle casualties. Under the United Nations Institute for Namibia, and with support from the Zambian Government and Ministry of Defence, ZNS stepped in to help.

At ZNS Kitwe and ZNS Kabwe, the refugees were trained in practical trades such as:

  • Carpentry

  • Bricklaying

  • General Agriculture

  • Tailoring

  • Shoe Making

This programme gave war victims the tools to rebuild their lives and return as productive, self-reliant citizens.

Rural Reconstruction Centres (1975–1990)

In 1975, Zambia introduced Rural Reconstruction Centres (RRCs) to boost food production and strengthen national defence.

  • Recruits were given 3 months of military training, followed by agricultural training.

  • Military instructors and Agricultural Extension Officers worked side by side to guide the settlers.

  • The centres were managed by Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs).

By 1990, ZNS handed over the RRCs to the Department of Co-operatives.

Resettlement Schemes (1987)

Two new resettlement projects were launched:

  • Kanakantapa (Lusaka Province)

  • Kambilombilo (Copperbelt)

Here, unemployed youths were allocated land. ZNS trained them in military discipline and one year of agriculture, preparing them for self-reliant farming.

Youth Skills Training Programme (2006–2015)

With youth unemployment rising, the Government tasked ZNS with training vulnerable and underprivileged youths in life-sustaining skills.

Training Centres:

  • ZNS Chiwoko – Eastern Province (male trainees)

  • ZNS Kitwe – Copperbelt (female trainees)

Courses Offered

  • Agriculture

  • Carpentry

  • Bricklaying

  • Plumbing

  • Electrical skills

  • Tailoring

Graduation Numbers

Between 2006 and 2013, ZNS trained:

  • 1,102 male youths

  • 509 female youths

  • Total: 1,611 graduates

Upon graduation, the youths were handed back to the Ministry of Youth and Sport, though at the time, there was no formal exit strategy, making follow-up difficult.

Expansion Plans

To meet growing demand, the Government began building new training centres. In 2015, the first phase of a new centre at ZNS Chishimba (Northern Province) was completed to expand youth intake.

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