Source: Mugabe hires private plane – DailyNews Live
Gift Phiri, News Editor 7 March 2017
HARARE – As the Zimbabwe rot continues unabated, President Robert Mugabe
has been forced to hire a private jet for his recent overseas travels.
This comes after the poorly-performing national carrier, Air Zimbabwe,
failed to complete the servicing of its planes, which Mugabe uses, and
which are undergoing mandatory maintenance checks.
The Daily News learnt yesterday that Mugabe is currently leasing a private
jet from Bahrain, which he used to travel to Singapore last week for his
medical check-up, as well as for his trip to Ghana yesterday, where he was
among dignitaries at the West African country’s 60th independence
celebrations.
Transport minister Joram Gumbo yesterday confirmed the less than ideal
situation, while also moving to underplay the gravity of the situation.
“Our planes are on mandatory inspection. They are grounded and cannot do
long-haul trips,” Gumbo told the Daily News.
“But there is nothing unusual here. We normally hire from South Africa
whenever there is a need. Yes, the one you are talking about, we hired it
from Bahrain. We do it every time. I don’t know why it’s news,” he
claimed.
Air Zim’s old fleet comprises two Boeing 767s, three 737s, three MA60s and
two Airbus A320s. However, only four of those are flying: one airbus, one
Boeing 767, one 737 and an MA60.
The debt-ridden flag carrier, which is said to be losing up to $3 million
a month, is saddled with a $300 million declared debt.
The national carrier has also over the past three decades struggled to
shake off claims of corruption and ineptitude, which has led to the
dismissals of several of its boards and senior managers.
COMMENTS
What a useless son in law he has! Can’t even get his old father in law a seat on Air Zimbabwe. I just hope Mad Bob can now get a good discount on the lobola…
Air Zim – you mean graveyard air of the dead. If they cannot get their president up the road, then god help us!
It means that RM and his gang of buffoons know the true picture that a monkey cannot fly a darn plane let alone maintain it. The pilots and crew are no doubt from the wicked west and they do not serve sadza and beans – no doubt if they did imported from Zambia!
It’s a clueless band of mongrels that need to be put to sleep and buried in a snake pit half alive!
Hiring a jet of that size, a Boeing 767, costs US$10 000 per flying hour. A Singapore return trip (for a blood transfusion) costs US$300 000 for the plane only. (The hospital probably costs the same amount!) A trip to Accra Ghana would cost US$100 000 for the plane. All they need for doing the C-Check for the Air Mugabe 767 is US$150 000. They just don’t get it right, do they?
More bond notes to print then. The US dollars keep disappearing from the people only to be spent by this insane man, his harlot wife & the thieving ZANU PF party.
Just when you think, it cannot get worse !