'Chopper crash pilot is a liar,' says Immigration officials

A South African apartheid soldier who crashed his helicopter near West Nicholson before secretly burying the wreckage was branded a liar by Zimbabwean immigration officials yesterday.

Frederick Wilhelm August Lutzkie, 52, claims to have made several trips to Zimbabwe after acquiring 100 percent shareholding in the 30,000-hectare Doddieburn Ranch in July last year.

But immigration officials yesterday said the eccentric businessman – a former cage fighter - has only ever entered Zimbabwe legally ONCE, on May 6 this  year, two days after his R800,000 MD500 chopper went down.

The disclosure by Notius Tarisai, the Assistant Regional Immigration Officer in Charge of Beitbridge, confirms earlier fears that Lutzkie and dozens of associates flew in and out of Zimbabwe without following proper immigration channels.

Abedinico Ncube, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Matabeleland South, last night branded Lutzkie a "security threat" as he demanded a full review of how he was allowed free reign in a government conservancy.

It also emerged that Lutzkie, who claims to have sunk $2 million developing the conservancy, only applied for an investor's permit yesterday.