The country’s security services, under the Joint Operations Command, (JOC), convened an urgent meeting following the break down of the country’s aviation traffic control system on Monday.
The breakdown disrupted flights in and out of the country, a situation considered a great security risk as undesirable elements could fly in and out of the country unnoticed. A security official who spoke to The Independent had this to say:
A meeting was called where a decision was made to procure a new radar and traffic control system by mid-December. While this breakdown was only for a few hours, on some occasions the system has been down for almost 24 hours, meaning air traffic can pass through or land undetected.
This also means mercenaries can fly in and out without being detected. It’s a serious security matter, not just an aviation matter, hence the intervention of Joc. There was also concern that smuggling syndicates were also taking advantage of the constant breakdown of the radar system to fly some minerals, particularly diamonds and gold, out of the country.
The Air Traffic Controllers Association of Zimbabwe had previously advised the government to upgrade the communication system in the country for the past two years.
The Minister of Transport, Joel Biggie Matiza, was also notified of the deplorable state of Air Traffic Control VHF Communications Systems in October but no corrective action was taken.
“There was also concern that smuggling syndicates were also taking advantage of the constant breakdown of the radar system to fly some minerals, particularly diamonds and gold, out of the”, That’s exactly what these corrupt ZANU PF bigwigs are doing to the nation’s resources, whether security or civilian.
I concur my friend yet ZANU Pf do not need to ‘fix’ ATC. ATC just ignore the comings and goings of the Earwigs erm, I meant Bigwigs. They want to retain their careers so like a canoeist in crocodile rich rivers they do not rock the boat. ED and co have big, sharp, ripping teeth and powerful bone-crunching and crushing jaws. They reserve the well known ‘death roll’ to use on innocent protestors.,
Gordon Bennett. The paranoia of the 1980s and 90’s lives on.
Mercenaries could know in advance and organise a coup de tat as the ATC system broke down unexpectedly.
I was arrested in 1987 for taking photos of a Lufthansa Boeing 747-200 Cargo Aircraft. My film was developed, Special Branch or CIO only released me when it emerged my pictures were innocent. I got my camera returned but not the photos.