
“We fly high, no lie, you know this (ballin’!)
Foreign rides outside, it’s like showbiz (we in the building)
We stay fly, no lie, you know this (ballin’!)” – Jim Jones (‘We Fly High’ released: 21.10.2006)
I don’t get it, maybe I am foolish, maybe I am a weird kind of brother. Maybe, I am someone who is stupid. Because this boggle my mind. How can an Airline who had 300 million USD in debt in August 2017. That is not a lie, that was reported. Therefore, when I ready that the Airline got two leased Boeing 777 from Malaysia today.
They are leased by a third party company called Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company (ZALC), what is weird with this company is that the offices are not found and the corporate filing isn’t showing direct ownership of the company, even if it owns Zimbabwe Airlines (BusinessDaily.co.zw – ‘Air Zimbabwe scandal deepens’ 29.03.2018). So it is weird that Air Zimbabwe, a government corporation cracks, but a new one rise from the ashes. What is weird is that the new planes are leased old planes, they are 12 years old and who knows how much it really cost.
Who foots the bill of Air Zimbabwe and to rebrand it Zimbabwe Airways? Why the need, does Harare need the steady business of flights to London and Beijing? Is that the need for the Republic? Who earns on the agreement and who is the people behind the deal?
There is many open questions, why revive a failed state corporation with 12 years old rebranded planes from Malaysia? They are registered in honour of former President Mugabe (Z-RGM) and the other registered Z-NBE.
The state has tried to say this is not directly government owned, but third parties bought and leased. However, who has this kind of money in Zimbabwe and who else has the capacity to bring planes to the Republic?
After the delivery of the planes today. There was revelation:
“Speaking after the delivery of the first Zim Airways plane, Finance Min Chinamasa said: “I’m here to categorically state that this plane is the property of the Republic of Zimbabwe and not the former First Family” Chinamasa also mentioned that three more planes are to be delivered, including an Embraer. He says the whole deal is worth $70m” (Zimbabwe Today, 11.04.2018).
We are seeing that the Finance Minister came with double messages today, clearly, the state knows that the usage of millions of dollars to the failing airline industry is a scandal. Since the former Airlines owned by the state went south. Now, they are trying to revive it, but why say it is property of the government, not Mugabe’s family. However, expressing in the statement the ownership of the lease going to ZALC. That is meaning that there is basic agreements between the operational company Zimbabwe Airlines and ZALC, that ZALC is leasing the planes, while they are operating for Zim Airways. That makes it possible to skim money between ZALC and the Airlines. The gist is there, since the state is show shallow with the transparency.
That the revival of something that was already dead, that had debt of 300 million US Dollars. Who wrote that off? Did the Chinese? Who paid the creditors of Air Zimbabwe? Someone had to cough up the money and pay them off. It doesn’t go from red to black without some sort of trick. Unless, you have a generous uncle who write-off the losses.
That Zimbabwe Airways is revived with 12 year old leased Boeing 777, which is a costly deal. Hard to believe it will be worth it. Unless, the Mnangagwa government knows something we don’t, and that he offered someone extra scarfs or something. Who knows?
But this seems like a scheme and the ones who could track the money, could find the sources, find the middle-men and the ones paying the Malaysian business-men. Somewhere there, the reality would be open and the ones earning profits on the leasing would be established. Because I have hard time to believe this is good business. Since the last Airlines wasn’t run well and neither will this one. Unless, again, Mnangagwa knows something I don’t.
Hope the cat will get out of the bag, the ones leasing, the ones operating and the ones earning on the operation. However, I don’t think the ZANU-PF wants that, neither want the whole deal in the open. Secondly, the Mnangagwa Presidency always want to be in contrast of Mugabe, but this looks more of the same. Just renting, instead of getting the first family to own the business directly. Peace.












