Former South African President, Jacob Zuma’s planned visit
to Bulawayo did not materialise after some members of his security team
reportedly failed to secure seats in the South African Airlink flight to
Bulawayo.
Zuma was expected to land in Bulawayo Friday at 12 noon
from Johannesburg. He was a guest of honour at the ongoing United
Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) regional conference at Khumalo
Hotel.
The liberation stalwart was also expected to visit the late
national hero Dumiso Dabengwas widow, Zodwa and family at the family home in
Fourwinds to pay his respects.
Confirming the development at the Dabengwa residence,
Vukile Mathabela from the office of the former president, said Zuma’s entourage
encountered challenges at the airport as the commercial flight did not have
enough space.
“As you know Zuma was expected to be a guest at the UCCA
church. He’s not only just a guest but is a member of the church too. So he was
coming here in his capacity, both as a church member and guest speaker.
However, we had one challenge that when they were supposed
to leave South Africa, the security detail could not have enough space in the
flight, therefore Zuma ended up not coming,” he said.
Mathabela noted that Zuma had been looking forward to the
Bulawayo trip but would make amends both to the church and the Dabengwa family.
“We apologise but we are going to make a video clip that
would be played in the UCCA church where Zuma personally would apologise and explain
what really happened. But he was looking forward, some of us had prepared
speeches and everything else. He was looking forward to be part of the whole
conference of the UCCA,” he said.
Zuma’s assistant was unsure if the former president would
still attend the church conference.
“Well, the service was to last until Sunday so we can’t
commit to anything up until we are sure whether it’s possible for him to come
Sunday. But if not possible, we will communicate although today and tomorrow is
out. We don’t know if it’s due to the long (holiday) weekend, as to why there’s
an issue with the flight,” Mathabela said.
As for paying his respects to the Dabengwa’s, he added, “we
wanted to do a kill two birds with one stone, we wanted to be here. I have my
colleagues from the Dumiso Dabengwa Foundation and we have to do sit down with
them. The foundation will make an announcement in due course to say when Zuma
can come.”
Mathabela noted that since Zuma was a former president, he
was no longer privy to certain privileges such as the presidential jet. “He’s
just a citizen, there’s no presidential jet and the plane is full so like
everyone else, he must queue.
This is not the first time, as we have even missed domestic
flights before. The former president no longer has privileges of flying on
state jets. So he just becomes a normal citizen otherwise we would be in
trouble with other passenger should they have been taken off the flight,” he
said.
Dabengwa and Zumas relationship dates back to the days of
the liberation struggle when, Zapus military wing, ZPRA fought alongside
African National Congress military wing Umkhonto weSizwe.
Zuma was initially scheduled to attend Dabengwa`s burial in
June together with another former South African president, Thabo Mbeki but they
did not make it. Cite zimbabwe
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