News / National
Zimbabwe feels the pain of Mugabe health junket
16 Mar 2015 at 03:12hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe's medical costs, especially his regular shuttle to specialists in Singapore, are an expense bankrupt Zimbabwe cannot afford, financiers say. He left for Singapore again on Wednesday and returns to Harare next Thursday, his third medical trip to Singapore in 90 days.
The cost of this trip will be at least R20million, which will be covered by the State, and is being off-set against a hurriedly made arrangement to briefly attend a disaster risk conference in Japan which began on Friday.
Mugabe charters the national carrier's only long-haul aircraft, a boeing 767, for intercontinental flights, and t is one of the only three planes still operating for Air Zimbabwe.
Air charter financiers in Harare costed the latest trip, based on rates regularly charged by Air Zimbabwe, at R10million for Mugabe's route, including two stop overs in Singapore and Japan.
The per diem advance allowances for Mugabe's aides, who each get R18,000 to cover hotels, food and some transport, will cost about R8million in total.
At least 50 aides boarded the plane with Mugabe.
The medical costs at Parkway Hospital in Singapore will set Zimbabwe's tax payers back at least a further R200,000. His other costs such as transport and accommodation bring the total bill for his latest medical excursion to more than R20million.
The cost of this trip will be at least R20million, which will be covered by the State, and is being off-set against a hurriedly made arrangement to briefly attend a disaster risk conference in Japan which began on Friday.
Mugabe charters the national carrier's only long-haul aircraft, a boeing 767, for intercontinental flights, and t is one of the only three planes still operating for Air Zimbabwe.
The per diem advance allowances for Mugabe's aides, who each get R18,000 to cover hotels, food and some transport, will cost about R8million in total.
At least 50 aides boarded the plane with Mugabe.
The medical costs at Parkway Hospital in Singapore will set Zimbabwe's tax payers back at least a further R200,000. His other costs such as transport and accommodation bring the total bill for his latest medical excursion to more than R20million.
Source - dailynews
