The recruitment of new soldiers by the army is raising eyebrows as it is being done without authority from the cash strapped government.

Despite the fact that Zimbabwe is not at war with anyone, the army last week embarked on another countrywide recruitment drive. Army spokesperson Major Alphios Makotore confirmed to the Zimbabwe Standard this weekend that they were hiring new recruits.

'Yes, we are recruiting. It's a national exercise,' Makotore told the weekly independent paper.

Last month, Finance Minister Tendai Biti condemned as unlawful the recruitment of soldiers and police officers in light of the government's decision to freeze new appointments in the public sector.

The army and Home Affairs ministry have so far recruited 4,600 soldiers and 1,600 police officers since May this year.

The MDC-T also accuses the army of bias in its current recruitment exercise as it is allegedly targeting children of serving and retired soldiers, war vets and ex-political detainees.

Recently party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora told journalists the current recruitment drive, which does not require minimum academic qualifications, was being done clandestinely to accommodate ZANU PF youth militia.

Retired Army Colonel Bernard Matongo said the recruitment drive looks very suspicious as the country prepares to hold watershed harmonized elections in the near future.

The armed forces in Zimbabwe have always been accused of propping up Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF and were responsible for the bloody 2008 election violence.

'While the government says it has no cash to fund the recruitment drive, it is clear the army is getting money from diamonds sales to fund their illegal activities,' Matongo said.