Medical examinations for the 1,092 young men and women selected to participate in the Zambia National Service (ZNS) Voluntary National Service Training programme are progressing well at three designated centres across the country.
The examinations, which began earlier this week, are being conducted at ZNS Kitwe Training School, ZNS Chishimba Camp in Kasama, and ZNS Chiwoko Camp in Katete.
In a statement to RCV News today, Ministry of Defense Principal Public Relations Officer Paul Shalala said the examinations are aimed to assess the physical fitness of the selected youths ahead of the six-month mandatory military training set to commence on 1 September 2025.
“The cohort includes 468 females and 624 males, with seven participants chosen from each constituency nationwide,” said Mr. Shalala.
Mr Shalala said in addition to medical assessments, the screening process includes the verification of academic qualifications to ensure that only eligible candidates proceed to training.
He highlighted that the voluntary National Service Training programme was reintroduced following a directive from President Hakainde Hichilema in November 2024 and to support the initiative, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has disbursed K17.1 million through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
By Margaret Mwanza
