ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe Blessed With Duty Free Importation Of Spares

Efforts to improve the operations of Air Zimbabwe have received further boost following revelations that Government recently extended the dispensation for the national air carrier to import spares duty free.

Through statutory instrument 92/2019 Customs and Excise – Duty Rebate for Air Zimbabwe the Government extended, for the whole of 2019, the existing rebate on engine spares and aircraft components for Air Zimbabwe.

The debt ridden State owned airline was placed under the administration of Grant Thornton with effect from October 4 2018, amid a string of losses, in terms of the Reconstruction of State-Indebted Insolvent Companies Act.

Administrator Reggie Saruchena late last year said Air Zimbabwe revival was possible; promising a turnaround.

He said he had previously handled similar challenges. As operational and viability problems mounted at the national airline, Air Zimbabwe's passenger numbers plunged to about 230 000 per annum from a peak of 1 million in 1996.

Air Zim has also been struggling to meet its external obligations resulting in it being suspended from international aviation bodies, whose membership is critical for its global routes.

Air Zim assistant administrator Tonderai Mukubvu said that extension of rebate was welcome as it reduces the cost of aircraft maintenance.

The removal of import duty takes away a significant cost of maintenance. For instance, if a spare part costs US$4, it means that this reduces the cost of maintenance by the equivalent of the duty, Mr Mukubvu said in an interview.

Air Zim spares must all be imported because we do not have any local manufacturer, as such the removal of the duty cuts down on the foreign required to import from wherever since the duty is also charged in forex, he added.

He also said that the extension of the duty rebate on spares and components will enable the airline to save foreign currency.

The airline currently has two functional aircraft; one flying and servicing domestic and regional routes and another currently grounded and undergoing maintenance procedure, C-check.

Delivery of an Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft from the US is expected in the next two weeks to increase its fleet of functional aircraft, making the rebate handy.

Further, reports earlier this month indicated that the airline was due to take delivery of two Boeing 777-200 ERs acquired from Malaysia, as part of efforts to boost its fleet.

Mr Mukubvu said a reduction in the amount of foreign currency required to import critical spares, as Zimbabwe faces forex shortages, will reduce the overall cost of maintenance by an equivalent factor.

Mr Mukubvu said the company was operating two aircraft while a third, an Embraer ERJ 145 was expected in Zimbabwe in a fortnight and would also benefit from the import duty rebate on spares and engine components.

Air Zim is saddled with a US$341 million debt accumulated over a decade of mismanagement. The inability to repay debts left the airline unable to meet its obligations to global aviation bodies.

Air Zim is now battling to attain recertification under the International Air Transport Association operational safety audit and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after losing its rights as a result of failing to pay its dues.

IATA is an association of the airlines from across the globe, representing 275 airlines or 83 percent of total air traffic. The association supports many areas of aviation activity and helps to formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues.

One of Air Zimbabwe's long haul aircraft, a Boeing 767-200 was impounded by American General Supplies at Gatwick International Airport in London in December 2011 over debts amounting to $1,2 million.

In 1980, Air Zimbabwe had 18 aircraft flying into 31 destinations but is now limited to Harare-Johannesburg; Harare-Bulawayo and Harare-Victoria Falls routes.


Tourism Observer

ZIMBABWE: Embrace ICT To Grow Tourism

Addressing participants at an ICT workshop in Bulawayo last week, PUM Netherlands senior expert, Joop Boere said operators needed to follow the rapid changing developments on the internet and marketing to increase the customer base through marketing, selling products and service through online portals.

“Digital marketing is critical in increasing online presence of tourist attractions, the old ways of marketing tourist attractions are fading” he said.

PUM provides business advice and technical assistance to organisations in developing countries and emerging markets, renewing bottlenecks and facilitating sustainable paths for growth.

The ICT workshop ran concurrently with the ninth edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani travel expo that ended in Bulawayo on Saturday.

“E-tourism digitalises the processes and value chains in the tourism travel, hospitality and catering industries enabling organisations to maximise their efficiency and effectiveness,” Boere said.

Dorothy Sija from Wozani Lodge said: “Sometimes, the internet is not always efficient, it’s on our part, as operators, to have and get full knowledge to engage E-Tourism in a rampant way.

“However, adopting an efficient way of marketing resorts builds better product experiences, creates stronger customer relationships and bring the market faster.”

Other advantages of e-tourism are allowing small business to complete internationally.

“Considering that nowadays the internet is the most effective way of marketing products, accessing reliable internet services are still a challenge because the costs are still high,” Sija said.

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.

ZIMBABWE: Elephant Discovered Dead After Cyanide Poisoning

Another elephant has been found dead of cyanide poisoning in north-western Zimbabwe, two months after around 60 elephants were killed in the area, it was reported on Sunday.

The decomposing body of the elephant was found last week in Sikumi Forest next to Hwange National Park, where poachers have poisoned dozens of elephants since September.

The elephant had been dead for around 10 days.

Poachers had not had time to remove the elephants’ tusks, according to the report.

An official from the Forestry Commission, Armstrong Tembo, said “On Tuesday last week our workers recovered the carcass of an elephant that was decomposing. The ivory was also recovered.

“The cause of the death is a mixture of salt and cyanide,” he added.

Poachers have commonly poisoned waterholes with cyanide, a fast-acting poison, or they have poisoned salt-licks near waterholes.

There was a hiatus in the poisonings in Hwange over November and December.

One possible contributing factor may be the lack of rain, which has seen elephant numbers reduced in parts of the park as the animals move away to look for water and food.

The Bhejane Trust, a conservation group that operates in the vast national park, said in its latest report this week: “With very few elephants in the Sinamatella area still, we have not had to worry much about any repeat of the cyanide killings.”

Twenty-two elephants were poached in a single poisoning incident in Sinamatella, in the north of the park, in October. The authorities believe at least two gangs were involved in the attacks. At least seven people have been reportedly arrested so far, though it is far from certain that the ringleaders have been caught.

A man had been arrested at a logistics company in Bulawayo after he was found with more than a tonne of cyanide — and no licence for it — in his warehouse.

Bulawayo is on the main road between the Zimbabwean capital Harare and Hwange National Park.

BOTSWANA: Domboshaba Festival Of Culture And History

Saturday, 19 September 2015

This annual cultural event is held near Domboshaba Ruins, a unique stone masonry architectural signature of the Banyayi- Bakalanga empire and civilisation which stretches from Khami Ruins near Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. Botswana Tourism sponsors the publicity and promotion of this event as it has a strategic input in the diversifications efforts through events and destination awareness of the Botswana tourism offering.

This event is hosted in partnership with the local trust, Domboshaba Cultural Trust (DCT). The event has not only grown in terms of attracting an audience from Botswana and Zimbabwe, but also activities during the cultural event allow the audience to get more exposure to the Ikalanga culture.

The event also features a 21.2km Nswazwi half marathon with the start point in Sebina and finish point in Makuta.

The exact date to be confirmed but the event will be sometime in September.
Venue: Domboshaba Ruins, Botswana

Organiser: Domboshaba Cultural Trust

GABON: Gabon Launches Low Cost FlyAfrica.com

After Zimbabwe and Namibia, the South African group FlyAfrica.com launches new low-cost subsidiary in Gabon.

This is Gabon's President Ali Bongo who has himself announced the arrival of low cost Pan in Gabon following a partnership agreement between the Gabonese government and the South African group: "We must be connected between partner countries . Africa is our continent, it is up to us ", he said. It is true that Gabon no longer national airline since the collapse of Gabon Airlines in 2011. "The extension of FlyAfrica.com network of Southern Africa to Central Africa responds to the aspiration of the Heads of State of the continent ", welcomed in a statement FlyAfrica.com Group, owned by the South African company Paramount.

The headquarters will be based in FlyAfrica Gabon Libreville, the Gabonese capital. No decision has yet been taken regarding its fleet, offers and routes. But the goal is to provide low cost flights at very low prices, like the subsidiaries in Zimbabwe and Namibia.

If the group's subsidiaries FlyAfrica.com -Gabon FlyAfrica, Namibia and Zimbabwe FlyAfrica- FlyAfrica are legally separate, they use the same website, which now features eight destinations in Southern Africa (Windhoek, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, Harare and Lusaka) pending the opening of the destinations of the Gabonese subsidiary in Central Africa.