News / National
Mugabe could not secure a flight from Singapore because of late bookings
13 Apr 2012 at 08:56hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe arrived back in Harare Thursday morning from Singapore as his Zanu-PF party scoffed at reports that the veteran leader was gravely ill. Zanu-PF had earlier dismissed reports that Mugabe had been gravely ill as "a lot of hogwash" put about by hostile Western media organisations.
He was met at the Harare International Airport by senior Zanu-PF and government officials, service chiefs and party supporters.
Details have started emerging that he and his entourage were initially due in Harare on Sunday, but could not secure a flight from Singapore because of late bookings.
It also emerged that the plan to dispatch an Air Zimbabwe plane to pick him was abandoned due to financial and technical reasons.
Mugabe reportedly used Singapore Airlines to fly to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he boarded a white private jet believed to have been hired by Mbada Diamonds to Harare.
Reliable sources said Mugabe left on a one-way flight to Singapore on March 31 for a regular medical check-up and eye pressure treatment although the official line was that he had gone to arrange post-graduate studies for his daughter, Bona.
The sources said Mugabe failed to secure a flight on Saturday to Johannesburg, South Africa, because it was fully booked. This would have resulted in him arriving home on Sunday.
Plans were then made to fly an Air Zimbabwe plane to pick up Mugabe, but were abandoned because of various reasons, among them that the Boeing 767 was not insured.
President Mugabe was supposed to have been picked up by a long-haul flight.
But Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive officer Innocent Mavhunga was adamant the airline was never assigned to pick up Mugabe.
He was met at the Harare International Airport by senior Zanu-PF and government officials, service chiefs and party supporters.
Details have started emerging that he and his entourage were initially due in Harare on Sunday, but could not secure a flight from Singapore because of late bookings.
It also emerged that the plan to dispatch an Air Zimbabwe plane to pick him was abandoned due to financial and technical reasons.
Mugabe reportedly used Singapore Airlines to fly to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he boarded a white private jet believed to have been hired by Mbada Diamonds to Harare.
Reliable sources said Mugabe left on a one-way flight to Singapore on March 31 for a regular medical check-up and eye pressure treatment although the official line was that he had gone to arrange post-graduate studies for his daughter, Bona.
The sources said Mugabe failed to secure a flight on Saturday to Johannesburg, South Africa, because it was fully booked. This would have resulted in him arriving home on Sunday.
Plans were then made to fly an Air Zimbabwe plane to pick up Mugabe, but were abandoned because of various reasons, among them that the Boeing 767 was not insured.
President Mugabe was supposed to have been picked up by a long-haul flight.
But Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive officer Innocent Mavhunga was adamant the airline was never assigned to pick up Mugabe.
Source - Byo24News
