HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa is flying a private jet from Dubai on his trip to Bulawayo on Friday morning, ZimLive can reveal.
It is the second time that Mnangagwa is flying a hired jet from Dubai on the 80-minute round trip to Bulawayo and back to Harare.
Mnangagwa, 77 in September, has drawn public criticism for his propensity to fly in expensive jets around the world.
This website can reveal that a Boeing 737-700 IGW with tail number A6-RJX landed in Harare on Wednesday morning to position for Mnangagwa’s trip to Bulawayo, where he will attend the official opening of the 60th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.
The luxury jet, which boasts an elegant VIP bedroom complete with ensuite bathroom, is registered by Royal Jet of the United Arab Emirates. The company is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi Aviation and the Presidential Flight Authority or PFA, the royal flight service.
Mnangagwa, in a bid to deflect public criticism over his use of private jets almost exclusively hired from Dubai, has claimed that he uses the planes at no cost to the taxpayer.
Mnangagwa said when he met Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Sultan Al Nahyan, the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates last month, he told him that “we have a challenge of planes” and secured a promise that “every time I want to travel I will just call and he will send us the plane.”
His comments, which contradicted his spokesman George Charamba who said the government was paying for the planes, drew even more criticism with his opposition rivals saying the opaque arrangement could lead to the capture of the Zimbabwean state by a foreign country.
