ZIMBABWEANS have angrily reacted to reports that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has acquired a US$54 million presidential jet — a Dassault Falcon 7X , at a time the majority of the population is wallowing in abject poverty.
According to reports, the aircraft was delivered in March,
but it was not put into service until last week when Mnangagwa attended the
Transform Africa Summit in Victoria Falls.
The Zanu PF leader also used the jet when he accompanied
King Mswati III of Eswatini to Bulawayo for the official opening of the
Zimbabwe International Trade Fair on Friday.
Economists, social and political commentators yesterday
accused the government of having misguided priorities, especially at a time
when the country is suffering from years of economic decadence.
Economist Gift Mugano told NewsDay that the government was
failing to prioritise sectors that were ailing due to economic decline.
“My arguments are guided by the issue of priorities. One of
the major priorities for us as a country should be the health sector,” Mugano
said.
“The US$54m used to buy the jet could boost the health
sector for a whole year (because) the money can be used in our ailing hospitals
and clinics.”
Mugano cited the case of ill-equipped emergency vehicles
like ambulances and fire tenders that are failing to save people’s lives after
accidents.
“Not only that, when a patient is referred to a hospital,
the health institutions cannot even administer a simple painkiller let alone
basic treatment,” he said.
Mugano added that
Mnangagwa should emulate his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema who
sold top-of-the-range vehicles reserved
for the president to prioritise provision of public services.
“Besides our atrocious health sector, the education sector
has also been on the decline and if parents don’t afford to pay for private
lessons in US dollars, their children are doomed,” he said.
“This is a case of misplaced priorities, it does not augur
well and has no moral suasion from the country’s leadership.”
Lawyer Sharon Hofisi said the acquisition of the
presidential jet raised concerns from both an executive presidential system and
constitutional democracy perspective.
“Firstly, in an executive presidential system, the
President has considerable power and influence, but it is also crucial that the
President is accountable to the people,” said Hofisi.
“In this case, the purchase of a private jet for the
President raises questions about accountability and transparency.
“The acquisition was not budgeted for, and the government
has not been transparent about how the jet was paid for or who will bear the
ongoing costs of operating the jet.”
Hofisi noted that in a constitutional democracy, the
government has a responsibility to use public funds responsibly and for the
benefit of citizens.
“The purchase of a private jet for the President at a time
Zimbabwe is facing numerous social and economic challenges raises questions
about priorities and the government's commitment to addressing the needs of its
citizens,” he added.
Former Cabinet minister in the 2009-2013 Government of
National Unity, Gorden Moyo expressed concerns about Mnangagwa’s insatiable
appetite for unbudgeted spending.
"The acquisition of a presidential private jet amid a
sea of poverty, unemployment, inequality, ridiculous salaries for civil
servants and appalling pensions of senior citizens, is indicative of a crisis
of leadership, a lack of moral rectitude and a pervasive moral crisis that has
shredded whatever remaining iota of hope that some Zimbabweans had in the
second republic,” Moyo pointed out.
“This is well captured by the Nigerian proverb, which says
a fish rots first from head.
“The President has set an example for the rest of the
oligarchs in Zimbabwe to dip their dirty hands into the national coffers and
spend public funds on vanity projects and toys."
Describing the acquisition as "not only ridiculous,
but also immoral”, Moyo said it demonstrated government's misplaced priorities.
“With this kind of attitude, (Zimbabwe) won't even achieve
its dream of becoming an upper middle income economy by 2030,” he said.
He added: “This jet thing may work against the debt
restructuring initiative led by the president of the African Development Bank
Dr Akunwimi Adesina and the former President of Mozambique Joaquim Chissano.
“There is a real risk of this jet being impounded by the
country's creditors across the globe.
“It's either President Mnangagwa was ill-advised on the
issue of his jet or he has some deficiencies when it comes to emotional
intelligence.”
Centre for Natural Resource Governance director Farai
Maguwu said while it was not clear where the money for the jet came from, this
was a case of misplaced priorities and poor judgment.
“When you look at the condition of the country, our health
system, infrastructure, it’s all in shambles,” Maguwu said.
“Life expectancy has significantly gone down because of a
collapsed health delivery system.
“People are crying for basic needs like (painkillers) in
hospitals yet Mnangagwa is spending such a lavish amount of money on a
presidential jet.”
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba and Information
minister Monica Mutsvangwa were both not picking calls last night.
Information ministry permanent secretary Ndavaningi
Mangwana said he was not aware of the development.
“I am not aware of any plane that was bought,” he said.
According to media reports over the weekend, the jet,
bearing the registration P4-SIM, appeared brand new.
Its first known flight, according to tracking service
FlightRadar24, was a flight from Paris in France to Johannesburg, South Africa,
on March 1.
FlightRadar24 identifies it with the International Civil
Aviation Organisation code FA7X, short for Falcon 7X.
Last year, Treasury officials reportedly raised concerns
about the huge bill for chartering aircraft for Mnangagwa, who — unlike the
late Robert Mugabe — has been flying across the world using hired private jets.
The Dassault Falcon 7X is manufactured by Dassault Aviation, a French
manufacturer of military aircraft and business jets.
According to reports, the business jet has a large-cabin
and a range of 11 020 kilometres, which means it can fly from Harare to London
non-stop. Newsday
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