FORMER president Robert Mugabe’s son-in-law Simba Chikore’s
plan to establish a private airline on the ashes of struggling flag carrier Air
Zimbabwe is likely to suffer a stillbirth after the new government raised the
red flag over the proposed transaction, it has been established.
Last month, the Zimbabwe Independent reported that the
project to establish a new airline, Zimbabwe Airways (pictured), whose
relationship with Air Zimbabwe (AirZim) is opaque, was moving towards finality
amid revelations Transport minister Joram Gumbo and Chikore, who was then
AirZim chief operating officer, were to be caught in a massive conflict of
interest storm.
Information gathered shows that Zimbabwe Airways is owned
by a local firm, Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company (ZALC). The company was
formed by an identified group of Zimbabwean investors, among them lawyers and
businesspersons with interests in the aviation industry. Some of the ZALC
shareholders are said to be based in the diaspora.
An enquiry with the Deeds Office in Harare indicated ZALC
was registered under file number 3015/12. The file was, however, missing from
the office, meaning the directors could not be immediately ascertained. But
information obtained shows that Zim Airways had acquired four long-haul Boeing
777 aircraft from Malaysia Airlines as it prepares to fly.
Aviation sources told the Independent this week that Simba,
who had left for Singapore after Mugabe resigned following the military
intervention which brought his 37-year reign to a dramatic end, made an
unexpected return to Zimbabwe last week. He took his Zimbabwe Airways foreign
partners to AirZim offices before flying to Victoria Falls. His visit came a
month after he threw in the towel as AirZim COO.
It is understood that power brokers within President
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration now want the Zimbabwe Airways deal to be
scrutinised with the ultimate objective of blocking it.
“The deal is now being scrutinised and once that is
completed, the President will be advised to block it. Already, a process is
underway to resuscitate AirZim. The airline wants to lease new equipment and
increase its frequency on lucrative domestic and international routes,” an
aviation source said.
According to Gumbo, the government is on the verge of
acquiring 15 planes as it plans to bring back AirZim to life.
Early this year, AirZim rolled out an ambitious plan to
overhaul the company that will see Treasury expunging the airline’s legacy
debts, estimated at US$330 million, by way of liquidation before acquiring new
planes from Asia and rebranding to Zimbabwe Airways.
After failing to court new investors due to the company’s
weak balance sheet, government is now seeking partnerships with international
airlines instead of engaging a strategic partner to turn around AirZim.
At Independence in 1980, the airline had 18 planes in its
fleet, but today it is operating at less than a third of its all-time peak.
Late last year, government engaged five international
carriers from Kenya, Ethiopia, Singapore, Turkey and Malaysia to partner the
troubled AirZim with hopes of turning around the fortunes of the ailing and
debt-ridden flag carrier.
In 2013, cabinet approved a proposal by the AirZim board to
raise US$15 million through 180-day commercial paper. Zimbabwe Independent
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