MDC Alliance Secretary-General, Chalton Hwende has said the Airforce of Zimbabwe helicopter crash that happened at Plot 2 of Gardner Road, Ward 16 in Goromonzi, Mashonaland East could have been avoided.
The helicopter Agusta Bell 412 (AB 412) helicopter crashed into a house on Friday, caught fire, killed four people – two AFZ pilots, Flight- Lieutenant Annita Mapiye who is Zimbabwe’s first female helicopter fighter pilot and Wing Commander Tinashe Thomas Manyowa, an AFZ technician Flight Sergeant Chikamhi, and 18-month-old toddler – Jade Fenyere who was sleeping in the house and injured two more people.
Two people – a toddler and her mother who were injured, taken to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and later transferred to Trauma Centre in Borrowdale for treatment, were reportedly in a stable condition Friday night.
Hwende said the helicopter crash could have been avoided if the ZANU PF government had invested in new aircraft. He said:
The death of Air Force of Zimbabwe cadres in yesterday’s helicopter crush is unfortunate. But the accident could have been avoided if the ZANU PF government had invested in new aircraft instead of relying on ramshackle helicopters acquired by the colonial regime 50 years ago.
Meanwhile, the government has said investigations are underway to establish the cause of the crash.
The crash comes barely days after reports that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had bought an US$18 million helicopter he allegedly intends to use mainly for the 2023 electoral campaign.
The reports infuriated some who argued that the incumbent leadership was getting its priorities wrong.
More: Pindula News
Oh please stop!!! What kind of humans are you that you lurch on every tragic accident for your own political expediency. Just stop. Zimbabwe is in mourning after losing our finest and all you can think of is how you can create political capital. You ppl are really a disgrace to our society.
We are praying for the souls of the perished that include a small baby. May God comfort their loved ones..
And the hundreds or even thousands of BLACK PEOPLE (YOUR VERY OWN BROTHERS,SISTERS, MOTHERS, FATHERS, GRANDPARENTS) the organisation you are obviously aligned to have killed for political expediency and for the sole reason of winning elections???
SO YOU PLEASE STOP!!! DON’T EVEN START!!!
He simply said, the death could have been avoided had the country invested in new aircraft, which happens to be a fact! What’s troubling you? The truth hurts ehy???
And please stop talking of praying and mourning and souls. We all know people with a mindset like yours do not have any space in your minds and hearts for that. You are plain heartless!
What mindset is that ?? Of telling off these opportunist latter day activists, attention seekers who care zero for others except their wishes to perpetuate foreign interests. Accidents happen every where, and up until there has been a forensic investigation to the cause of the that accident, this fellow has zero qualification to come to that conclusion. Intact, his statement is both malicious and inflammatory. You ppl need to cease and desist from fashioning yourselves as experts in everything and yet have failed dismally to run your councils and even failed to manage your party. And yet dreaming of running an entire country. Stop!!
And by the way, your judgement on my faith reflects the deep corrosion of your own faith. Nobody has autonomy on God matters. Stay in your lane. Don’t try to talk on matters beyond your comprehension. God is for us all.
You can say that again! They completely heartless.
Stop what?? These are not the only pple to lose their lives becoz of this failed system. Pple are dying daily due to road accidents attributed to potholes on the roads when road users are paying millions in Zinara car licences and Zinara Toll gates which is diverted to a few individuals pockets. A wrong is a wrong and should be pointed out whether we are mourning or not.
This is very shameful, capitalising on an accident for your own political strides is both unethical and inhuman.
If they had invested in new planes, critics would say “are we at war, why not buy food or fix roads.” Our country politics is dirty and stupid.
If they had invested in new planes, critics would say “are we at war, why not buy food or fix roads.” Our country politics is dirty and stupid.
Only when you think with a ZANU mindset.
No one said new planes should come before food, roads and hospitals. If you don’t have money to buy new planes, then stay on the ground, don’t put people at risk!!!
I think it’s good for the Pindula paper editor to read through all articles sent online like on this article. How can you repeat the Mapiye surname when the Wing Commander is TT Manyowa. Why rush publishing articles with such errors.
I find these comments very shallow if not stupid. In Indonesia, a submarine went down with more than 50 people to a watery grave but there isn’t Zanu there. Munorwara here?