Mugabe, Mujuru clash over Air Zimbabwe

• Air Zimbabwe resumes flights

• Mugabe commandeers Air Zim plane to Rome

• Air Zimbabwe flies 3 passengers

• Air Zimbabwe plane impounded at Gatwick

• Air Zimbabwe planes grounded by fuel shortage

• Mugabe commandeers Air Zimbabwe jet

• Moyo survives near plane crash

• Air Zim Boeing 737 in emergency landing, 6 hurt

• Chinese-made plane stuck in Bulawayo

• Zimbabwe acquires 2 Chinese aircraft

• Mugabe splashes in six Chinese fighter jets

• Mugabe sinks US$200 million on fighter jets

• Mugabe barters mercenaries for oil

• 'Mercenaries' planned jail escape

• 'Mercenary' plane seized in Zimbabwe

• Mugabe officials had deal with mercenaries

• South Africa, Zim trained mercenaries

By Staff Reporters

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe this week sidestepped Vice President, Joice Mujuru, by okaying the suspension of two Air Zimbabwe bosses, one of them a relative to his deputy.

A furious Mugabe cleared the Air Zimbabwe board to "take appropriate action" to normalise things after Zimbabwe's national airliner grounded its entire fleet in 25 years due to a fuel crisis.

Sources in the airline’s board said Wednesday that Mujuru, a relative to Tendai Mujuru, Air Zimbabwe’s corporate secretary who was suspended together with Chief Executive Tendai Mahachi, had repeatedly used her powers of overseeing parastatals to veto attempts by the board to fire the two.

Mujuru and Mahachi were suspended this week "pending investigations into serious disruptions of the airline’s operations and services" which saw its fleet being grounded after running out of fuel.

The sources said recommendations had been made to Mujuru, and Transport Minister, Chris Mushowe, for changes to the Air Zimbabwe management but Mujuru was unwilling to authorise the changes.

Mushowe, who is believed to be in Emerson Mnangagwa's camp in the Zanu PF succession politics, is also said to have clashed with the ministry's former permanent secretary, Karikoga Kaseke, over the two officials. Kaseke, a Mujuru ally, resisted action against Mahachi and Mujuru.

Air Zimbabwe sources told New Zimbabwe.com that it had been clear "for a long time" that for the airline to improve its fortunes, the two who face accusations of corruption and poor planning had to be relieved of their duties.

The sources said the Mujuru family "controlled everything at the airport and in the military". Their areas of control include airport duty free shops, general supplies and relatives seconded to top jobs.

Said an Air Zimbabwe board member: "As a board we couldn't fire Mujuru without getting approval from the top. The VP (Joice Mujuru) always said 'give them more time', but when we met the President recently, he said we should take any appropriate action without consulting anyone.

"In other words, he gave us the go ahead not to listen to the Vice President."

Despite months of corruption and mismanagement allegations against the Air Zimbabwe bosses, sources say they have been shielded by Mujuru and the disgraced former Transport Ministry Permanent Secretary, Karikoga Kaseke, who was booted out in the last cabinet reshuffle.

Kaseke is a Mujuru ally in Zanu PF’s succession politics. He is a former military intelligence officer who became close to the Vice President's retired army general husband, Solomon Mujuru, in the 1980's.

When Kaseke was embroiled in a statutory rape scandal after impregnating a 17-year-old orphan, the Vice President colluded with The Daily Mirror newspaper, which is owned by the CIO -- to dispossess the rape victim of documents relating to her case which had been reported to the police.

Although Air Zimbabwe is back in the air after taking delivery of new fuel supplies, sources say it will last for only two weeks, and the airline could once again be forced to cancel or restrict flights.
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com