Five warthogs on runway spoil the day for CAAZ

Sunday Mail Reporter
January 3, 2010

THE Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) has come under fire following reports that five warthogs were recently spotted on the runway at the Harare International Airport.

The incident comes barely a month after a Bulawayo-bound Air Zimbabwe MA60 plane was grounded after crashing into seven wild pigs on the runway as it prepared to take off.
Two of the 34 passengers on board sustained minor injuries.
CAAZ was expected to introduce tighter safety measures to curb the recurrence of similar mishaps.
But reports say five warthogs were again seen on the runway last month.
The wild pigs are believed to be coming from nearby farms.
Officers from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Problem Animal Control Unit) have been stationed at the airport since November. So far they have killed two of the animals.
The authority’s spokesperson, Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo, confirmed the incident and called for a lasting solution.
“Five warthogs were spotted and our PAC officers managed to kill two of them,” she said.
“We are more than willing to assist wherever we can, but a lasting solution needs to be found to curb such incidents.”
She said authorities need to adopt robust strategies ahead of this year’s Football World Cup extravaganza scheduled for South Africa.
“The erection of a fence will help keep the wild animals away,” she said.