ZIMBABWE: CEO For Air Zimbabwe Appointed

Acting CEO Edmund Makona, who served in this position since mid 2013, has retired from Air Zimbabwe and that Mr. Ripton Muzenda, who previously worked at the airline as a pilot and instructor, has taken over as new Chief Executive.

One of the first major tasks for Ripton will be the fine tuning of the upcoming AFRAA Annual General Assembly which is taking place at Victoria Falls later this year, as after Edmund's departure the Presidency of AFRAA will also become his to hold until a new chair is elected at the AGA.

Only two months ago did Air Zimbabwe relaunch flights to Tanzania's commercial capital of Dar es Salaam and has been eying a return to London Gatwick.

Besides regional flights does the airline also serve domestic routes from Harare to Victoria Falls and Bulawayo among other destinations.

Makona, who has been acting CEO since September 2013, was one of the five candidates that underwent psychometric tests and interviews last month.

“I attended the interviews and have been advised that I was unsuccessful. I was told that I am no longer the acting CEO,” he said. Before being appointed acting CEO, Makona was head corporate quality, safety and security.

The airline has been operating without a substantive CEO since the departure of Peter Chikumba when he failed to renew his contract in 2011. Later the post was held first by Innocent Mavhunga and Edmund Makona in an acting capacity.

Muzenda once worked as a pilot at the airline and was also a chief instructor with critics saying he had no management experience to run the flag carrier, which is incurring an estimated $3 million loss monthly.

The fate of Makona could not be ascertained yesterday, with the former acting CEO saying that his bid for the top post was unsuccessful.

Other than Makona, the interviews were also attended by one Kunaka and captain Oscar Madombwe with insiders saying the trio had been shortlisted for the top post.

Muzenda assumed the reins yesterday though he was not one of the five candidates interviewed last month by the board and a human resources consultancy firm hired to help in the selection process, insiders said yesterday.

Sources said the board felt that the five candidates interviewed did not have the requisite experience and know how to give the airline new wings, a move experts said was invalid.

“This nonsense about them being not qualified is a smokescreen to get their candidate in. It’s not genuine. You will most probably find that he is least qualified as compared to those being condemned. If they were to advertise, he will obviously not qualify, so they won’t advertise,” an expert said.

Another source said politics could have influenced the appointment of the new CEO, with indications that a senior politician (name supplied) could have played a key role. Appointments to lead parastatals and State enterprises require political support on top of qualifications.

This is not the first time the airline has brewed a shocker in appointing a CEO. In 2005, Air Zim appointed chemist Tendai Mahachi as CEO. He was suspended a year later alongside divisional director for finance Tendai Mujuru after the planes were grounded due to fuel shortages. He never returned to the airline.

Once one of the best airlines in the region, the national carrier has fallen down the pecking order weighed down by gross mismanagement and political interference. Former Transport minister Herbert Ushewokunze at one time described the airline as “a museum of mismanagement”.

The flag carrier is making monthly losses as it is generating an estimated revenue of $2,65 million against operational expenses of $5,94 million, according to a report by the parliamentary portfolio committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development.

ZIMBABWE: AirZimTo Pay London $3million Debt

AIR Zimbabwe is still negotiating with a London navigation agency to clear its $3 million debt to enable it to resume flights on the Harare-London route, a Cabinet minister said.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joram Gumbo said in an interview that negotiations were underway with the debtor to enable Air Zim to resume flights to British capital.

“Our aim is to resume flights on Harare-London route. As such, we’re negotiating with creditors that we owe on that route,” he said.

Air Zim has done well to service common domestic routes including Harare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and Kariba, but it has struggled to replicate this service on regional and international routes.

Minister Gumbo has hitherto indicated that the lucrative Harare-London route would continue to be preserved for Air Zim, as it sorts out its chronic legacy issues prior to resuming the flights.

The Harare-London remains one of the most viable routes the national airline could exploit, but Air Zimbabwe stopped flights fearing attachment of its aircraft by Worldspan over its $2,8 million debt.

The creditor, Worldspan, is a provider of travel technology and content. Air Zimbabwe once had similar issues with aviation firms in South Africa, which it has cleared and has been able to resume flights into that country.

Minister Gumbo said the negotiations, which began around 2012, were progressing well and should be completed sooner than later.

The debt is only a fraction of the over $298 million legacy debts, which the national air carrier owes, including to workers.

Minister Gumbo said most airlines across the globe were not doing well like Air Zimbabwe, and were saddled with huge debts, which their governments took over to enable them to start on a clean slate.
He said negotiations were in progress with the government for a takeover of the State air carrier’s debt to enable it to lure investors.

This forms part of extensive options being undertaken to restore Air Zimbabwe as the pride of Zimbabwe’s aviation as was the case during the golden era when it used to carry the nation’s flag across the globe.

Those initiatives include the ongoing negotiations with a total of 12 airlines for either possible partnership or lease of aircraft.

Minister Gumbo said it is not clear yet which option will materialise, as no agreement has been reached with anyone yet.
“We are negotiating with many companies, about 12 airlines we are talking and they all want to do business with us,” he said.

“Negotiations are ongoing, either for partnership or lease of aircraft, but those are the options.”
According to tourism industry experts, a national tourism strategy that relies heavily on foreign airlines is likely to keep changing.

This is because of the fact that foreign airlines are driven by profitability, if the route becomes unprofitable, they quickly pull out, which is why Air Zimbabwe must work to resolve its legacy issues.
Since tourism and investment are clearly enunciated in the economic policy as key for growth, it is incumbent for the government to make deliberate policies in order to re-equip the airline.