Air Zimbabwe missing aircraft mystery

Zimbabwe's struggling national carrier, Air Zimbabwe, is under intense scrutiny from Parliament over alleged corruption, missing aircraft records, and failure to compute tax liabilities - issues lawmakers say require urgent intervention amid fears the airline could lose key assets abroad.

The concerns were raised in a report by the Public Accounts Committee (Zimbabwe) on Air Zimbabwe's 2020 audited accounts, presented to the National Assembly by Chimanimani West MP Wilson Maposa.

The report highlights serious financial and governance deficiencies, including aircraft being used by the airline that are not reflected in its financial statements, raising questions over ownership and asset control.

"The Committee also noted the use of several aircraft by the airline which were not recognised as assets in its financial statements," Maposa said, adding that the status of ownership for some planes remains unclear.

Among the disputed assets is an A320 aircraft, Z-WPM, which has been grounded in South Africa since 2014. Lawmakers warned that continued storage could expose it to legal and financial risks.

"The A320 Z-WPM ownership ambiguity creates potential liability exposure under the Chicago Convention," Maposa noted.

The committee further warned that prolonged grounding of aircraft at OR Tambo International Airport could lead to seizure under local airport regulations, particularly as parking and maintenance issues remain unresolved.

However, Air Zimbabwe officials reportedly told Parliament that they had engaged South African Airways Technical to clarify the situation, with assurances that no parking fees were currently due — only future maintenance costs would apply when the aircraft is eventually returned to service.

Lawmakers also raised alarm over the airline's failure to carry out tax computations for income and deferred tax obligations during the 2019 financial year.

"The audit noted that Air Zimbabwe did not do any tax computation for both income tax and deferred tax. Quarterly returns were not being done," Maposa said.

The committee recommended that the airline submit outstanding financial statements to the Auditor-General by August 31, 2026, and called for stricter accountability measures for accounting officers under performance contracts.

Dzivarasekwa MP Edwin Mushoriwa described the situation as deeply concerning, warning that the airline is operating with minimal transparency and weak oversight.

He said there are claims that Air Zimbabwe is using several aircraft not reflected in its official records, some allegedly sourced from government or the Air Force, though he stressed that these claims remain unverified.

Mushoriwa also highlighted concerns over staffing levels, saying the airline is severely under-resourced with only a handful of employees and no effective audit oversight.

"Currently, only three individuals are employed at Air Zimbabwe and they are not actively contributing to the necessary improvements," he said.

He added that the once-proud national carrier has become a "pale shadow of its former self," noting the absence of Air Zimbabwe flights at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, where foreign airlines now dominate operations.

Mushoriwa expressed hope that the airline's placement under the Mutapa Investment Fund would lead to reforms and recovery, but stressed that urgent action is needed to restore accountability, operational capacity, and fleet visibility.