PRESIDENTIAL spokesperson George Charamba has defended the continued use of hired planes by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. This comes as the President leaves for South Africa tomorrow for the Sadc Solidarity Conference on Western Sahara, scheduled for 25-26 March 2019 in Pretoria, again on a hired plane.
He said that the President will continue using hired flights, and that the nation better got used to it.
“Let me pre-empt you; I know you would want to ask why not use scheduled flights for the President. Here is the tricky issue. One, it is very risky to do that for both the president and the airline. In this case, we are talking of a national airline which has one aircraft to service all its routes.
“If the president was to use a scheduled flight, it means that all the luggage in that flight will be opened and subjected to search by our security systems, This inconveniences the reputation of the airline and the passengers.
“Also the passengers themselves will have to be subjected to those security systems and this definitely will lead in some people leaving the airline and it loses business.
“Also when the president is flying, he would fly in the business class and no one will be allowed there, Just imagine you as a reporter you are supposed to fly to South Africa and you have bought your business class ticket and just because the president has joined the flight, you will have to move to the economy class. This will definitely lead to some people abandoning the airline.
“Remember the aviation business works on a patronage system and losing one customer is a big blow, which no airline would risk.
“So we look at all those factors and if you are to look at the opportunity cost, you are bound to agree with us that hiring an aircraft for the president is much better than going through all those challenges. Key to this, the scheduled flight will have to change its time to suit the president. This is dangerous for any airline.
“The president went to Angola using a small aircraft, hence I am here, because of the nature of the visit. Let me hasten to say we are dealing with a man who is trying by all means to cut costs. Believe you me, this man is serious about cost-cutting. He is very serious to an extent that today he compromised his security. He trimmed down the delegation and opted to use a smaller aircraft so that it becomes cheap and affordable. Imagine, he went to Angola leaving behind even his press secretary and his security. Who does that? I have been in government for years and I know what I mean when I say he means business when it comes to cost-cutting. This is a touch-down touch-up situation.”
Regarding the costs to the nation of the hired planes, Charamba said Mnangagwa was trying by all means to cut costs. “I don’t have the figures and I know the agenda you are pushing, it’s an assumption premised on wrong information. Let me tell you something. Airlines that are in the business of hiring out executive or VVIP aircraft are normally not busy.
“I know you want to say the aircraft has been here since Thursday to Tuesday and try to calculate the figure based on those assumptions you have been peddling that are false anyway. The issue you have to understand is that the aviation industry is very complicated. The charge is determined by the demand of the aircraft. If it is off-peak, definitely it would be cheaper and those who are in the business of engaging these airlines know that.
“Talking about the Bulawayo trip and the idea that the president could have used a scheduled flight, it meant that he would need to divert the Harare-Johannesburg route to go via Bulawayo. Do you think people were going to agree to that?
“So really let us be realistic when we discuss some of these issues, This is part of conditions of service for the top three. Even ministers, if their conditions of service stipulate that they should be airlifted whenever they need medical attention at the expense of the state, it must be done.
“Even top civil servants, if their benefits include airlifting, there is nothing that we can do to change that, it is in their contracts. Until such a time we have a presidential jet or a functioning national airline with a fleet of aircraft. At the moment, our economy cannot sustain the purchase of a presidential jet. Imagine what would happen if the president decides to get a presidential jet. Definitely it would cause an uproar.
“So until such a time when our economy can sustain the purchase of a presidential jet or we have a national airline with many aircraft, we shall always resort to hiring of private jets. The idea to buy a presidential jet is part of our plans in the long to medium-term, but for now, our economy cannot allow us to do that.
“As I said on the president issue, it comes down to circumstances. In this case, we do not have a direct flight to the DRC and if we were going to use scheduled flights, it meant that the VP was to fly to South Africa and connect from there. The security risks at play here are so huge and also the time factor.
“Again it meant that we were going to disturb the business class of the airline and this is something that has issues with many airlines. Look at the event he was attending, it was an inauguration, something to do with international relations. Remember as well, this inauguration was organised within a short period of time and the VP had to represent the country within that short time.”
Regarding the picture that trended on social media of a sofa which was said to have been for the President when he visited Chimanimani cyclone Idai victims during the week, Charamba scoffed it off as fake news.
“Did you verify that indeed the picture you are referring to is authentic and the said act happened? Well, yes, we had a number of private jets that were there when the president visited Cyclone Idai victims, but let me say this: I was there too. At no point did we have a jet delivering the said sofas. The private jets that were there had no capacity to carry the said sofas. We had jets with a capacity to carry only four people. This is the reason we did not bother ourselves to respond to the lies peddled by people with ulterior motives.”
Mr. George Charamba is the Presidential spokesperson & Deputy Chief Secretary OPC (Presidential Communications). He was speaking to The Standard.