Emmerson Njanjamangezi, Group Features Editor 
A PRIVATE auctioneer will conduct “a rare public sale” of seven Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (Caaz) planes, meant for a 90s flying school, this weekend.
While the country was “first enthralled” by a silver bird sale when Mbada Diamonds lost a 12-seater Cessna 208 Caravan in 2016 — snapped up by Kenneth Musanhi’s Central Air Transport Services — the fleet was part of the regional Zimbabwe Flight School (ZFS) and to benefit a number of Southern African Development Community countries like Lesotho, but suffered “neglect”.
“In terms of the amount, we cannot put an estimate (value to the planes) since this is the first time we are doing such an auction,” Caaz director general Elisha Chingosho said, adding the parastatal had since registered the Aviation Training Academy of Zimbabwe (ATAZ) to carry out that mandate and fulfill the long-abandoned dream.
“ATAZ is a registered private company wholly owned by Caaz and is registered with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education. It currently offers aviation related courses, which are internationally regulated in three main domains: aviation security, air navigation courses; and fire safety and rescue courses,” he said.
Caaz awarded a local company, Glowtrack Auctions, a tender to auction the planes — three Socata Tobago TB10 four-seaters, three Beechcraft Baron B58 six-seaters and a Cessna 206 six-seater – and Chingosho claims the auction has attracted several regional, and international buyers who have come to view the planes.
With the ZFS planes having been only “in use for just six months before being grounded and parked at Charles Prince Airport (Charles Prince)”, government insiders said the donor-funded planes “had been last serviced in the 90s and, therefore, rundown and of little value because some of the engines have ceased”.
But Chingosho remains optimistic about the training project and says ATAZ is working towards becoming a regional ICAO training centre in the foreseeable future.
“The new academy also offers some non-aviation courses in leadership, supervision and management and offers short courses with durations ranging mainly between five and 10 days in the three main domains, which is now the International Civil Aviation Organisation standard,” he said, adding it remains “different and incomparable to the Flight Academy of Zimbabwe”.
“ATAZ caters for all Zimbabweans with its affordable fees, which are much lower than other aviation academies within and outside Zimbabwe,” Chingosho added.
While the identity of potential buyers – and cost of the seven planes – has remained a mystery, the July 30 sale comes as several new airlines, including Kuva Air, have sprouted to probably take advantage of Zimbabwe’s tourism sector.
And the ZFS debacle also comes as a fleet of District Development Fund planes — again donated by Western countries in the 90s — had been parked at Charles Prince for a long time.
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