PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, HH Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, offered him the Airbus A318-100 jet for use at any time of need without any payment.
He said this while giving his opening remarks at the ZANU-PF’s 119th Central Committee meeting which is currently underway at the party’s headquarters in Harare.
The meeting began with the President leading the session in observing a moment of silence in honour and rememberance of those who perished as a result of Cyclone Idai which ravaged the Chimanimani District of Manicaland on 15 March.
In his initial remarks, President Mnangagwa explained that his trip to Abhu Dhabi was fully funded by the Crown Prince who sent a whole aircraft for his round-trip.
“The government never incurred any expenses for that trip. In fact, the Crown Prince went further to offer us a jet plane for use at anytime of need without any payment,” he said.
The President’s revelation contradicts that of his spokesperson George Charamba.
In an interview with a weekly paper last week, Charamba said: ” You ask me who is footing the bill for the president? Well, who is flying in this case? The president right, so who do you want to foot the bill? It is the government because he is not travelling for his personal business.
“This is what international engagements come with. We would want to be part of the global village and we have to carry the cost. I often hear people say this and that, but if we want that global presence, the state has to meet the cost that this comes along with.
“If I was to talk about the recent trip to the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and you look at the benefits of that trip, the opportunities alone that came with that trip, surely the costs are way less than the results we reaped from the trip.
If you were to look at the business opportunities for the country created thereof, indeed you could see that this was a necessary expenditure by the state. The assistance coming from there, the energy business deals and so on and so forth, you will appreciate that it was a necessary cost.”
At the ongoing ruling party’s central committee meeting, the President went on to thank the UAE for their support for Zimbabwe in its time of need when the powerful cyclone hit the eastern highlands.
He further announced that the Crown Prince of Abhu Dhabi has already sent three cargo planes of which two were loaded with relief supplies for Cyclone Idai victims while the third carried hospital supplies.
He said that early this morning he met an envoy from the Abhu Dhabi Crown Prince who offered more support to the Zimbabwean health sector.
“As we speak the envoy is touring our main hospitals assessing the needs of our people,” he said.
Since assuming power in a military coup in 2017, President Mnangagwa has made over 30 international flights – all mostly undertaken in luxury jets hired from various companies around the world. The same luxury has been extended to his deputies Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, who have made several medical flights for treatment in South Africa and India.
ZANU PF Central Committee is the Party’s supreme decision making organ in between Congresses and the Politiburo is the Secretariat and implementing arm of the Central Committee decisions
The meeting is ongoing.