A convoy of Chinese-manufactured armoured vehicles snaked through the streets of Harare this week, offering Zimbabweans their first public look at the country’s latest military acquisitions.
The spectacle, captured in a video shared online by presidential spokesman George Charamba, featured PTL-02 assault guns and WZ551 armoured personnel carriers, part of a multimillion-dollar equipment package delivered from Beijing in late 2023.
Charamba used the opportunity to project strength, declaring on X:”MBAMBO ITSVA DZEKUDZIVIRIRA NYIKA NERUSUNUNGUKO RWEDU!!!!!!”
He added,”MHANDO to YEKUTANGA YETSVIMBO ITSVA YAPFUURA NDISATI NDAGADZIRISA CHIVHITIVHITI CHEMASHOKO. ZIMBABWE CONTINUES TO UPGRADE ITS DEFENCE CAPABILITIES TO DETER ANY WOULD-BE AGGRESSORS. WEAKNESS TEMPTS!!!!!”
Although his remarks hinted at a new delivery, defence analysts told this publication the hardware almost certainly came from the 2023 consignment, only now being brought into active service after training and integration.
Even so, the timing has sparked speculation. Insiders suggest the show of armour was not merely routine logistics but a carefully chosen moment by Emmerson Mnangagwa to assert authority amid growing friction with his deputy and former army commander, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
The Chinese-built PTL-02, mounted on a six-wheeled chassis, provides mobile firepower similar to a light tank, while the WZ551 variants allow for troop transport, battlefield command, recovery and medical support.
Together, they represent the most significant upgrade to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ armour since independence, replacing the outdated Cascavel armoured cars procured from Brazil decades ago.
