http://www.bradenton.com/news/...rticle168159312.html



The Latest: Zimbabwe blocks South African Airways flights
The Associated Press

AUGUST 19, 2017 8:09 AM

JOHANNESBURG
The Latest on assault allegations against Zimbabwe's first lady (all times local):

2:05 p.m.

South African Airways says Zimbabwe has placed restrictions on its operations, affecting its flights between the neighboring countries.

The South African government-owned airline says its flight from Zimbabwe's capital to Johannesburg was unable to take off as scheduled Saturday morning. Another flight from Johannesburg to Harare has been canceled.


South African Airways says Zimbabwean authorities are demanding a "foreign operators permit" to allow the airline to operate in Zimbabwe. It says it has been flying to and from Zimbabwe for more than 20 years and that the permit was never required until Saturday morning.

The restrictions come as South Africa's government weighs whether to grant diplomatic immunity to Zimbabwe's first lady, who is accused of assaulting a young model at a luxury hotel in Johannesburg.

The statement by the airline does not mention the allegations.

___

1:40 p.m.

A South African Airways flight bound for Johannesburg has been prevented from leaving Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.

Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe chief executive David Chawota is not specifying the "issues" requiring attention before the plane is allowed to leave. He says "the South Africans know what should be done."

The cause of the delay is not clear. It comes as South Africa weighs Zimbabwe's request for diplomatic immunity for its first lady, who has been accused of assaulting a young model in Johannesburg.

South African Airways says in a statement it is awaiting a decision by Zimbabwean authorities. It says it is treating the matter as "urgent."

___

12: 30 p.m.

Zimbabwe's first lady is expected to make her first public appearance today since being accused of assaulting a young model at a luxury hotel in South Africa.

Local media are reporting that Grace Mugabe is expected to attend a regional summit Saturday with her husband in South Africa's capital, Pretoria. President Robert Mugabe is attending the Southern African Development Community's leaders' conference.

South African authorities are weighing a request by Zimbabwe's government for diplomatic immunity for the first lady, who has not commented.

Some demonstrators are protesting in Pretoria against the 93-year-old Mugabe and his wife, saying she should be prosecuted.

South African police have issued a "red alert" at the country's borders to ensure Grace Mugabe doesn't leave undetected, and are confident she remains in the country.

This is a disaster for hunters going to Zim.
Via South Africa. Not many other alternatives to fly into Harare or Bulawayo.

This will be interesting ..........

Nick

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfr...nd-zimbabwe-20170819



SAA suspends all Saturday flights between SA and Zimbabwe

2017-08-19 18:02


Cape Town- South African National Airways (SAA) took the decision to cancel all its flights for Saturday between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The flights affected from Johannesburg to Harare are SA 022, SA 028 and SA 024. The flights affected from Harare to Johannesburg are SA 025, SA 023 and SA 029.

Customers were told on the SAA Facebook page to contact their nearest office for rebooking.

It said it would keep people updated on the status of Sunday’s flights on that route.

SAA earlier confirmed to Traveller24 that the decision to impose the restriction emanates from the requirement from Zimbabwean authorities of a Foreign Operators Permit, from the airline to continue to operate in that country. SAA operates a total of nine flights daily to three destinations in Zimbabwe.


"Every effort will be made to assist all affected passengers and our recovery plans have been activated. SAA is monitoring the situation and will provide updates on a regular basis and when there are developments,” said SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali.

Earlier on Saturday, Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi said he would be meeting all aviation entities from the department to discuss the grounding of the Air Zimbabwe aircraft on Friday, allegedly due to non-compliance.

The department said the Air Zimbabwe flights' main issue was the required Foreign Operators Permit, together with other documents, which must be on-board an aircraft at all times, and made available for inspection on request by the relevant authorities.

“As a result, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has instructed the operator not to take off until such time that there is full compliance with the applicable South African civil aviation regulations and the requisite international aviation standards as set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.”

Maswanganyi apologised for inconveniences that might have been caused to passengers, the department said.



“In the same vein, the Minister emphasised that civil aviation safety and security is critical, and all licence and permit holders operating into and within the South African airspace need to comply with the applicable international standards, and the South African civil aviation regulations.”

The Friday flight was set to take off for Harare shortly after 18:00 but was cancelled before then.

'It seems that tensions are mounting'

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace are in South Africa for a Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting underway in Pretoria.

Mugabe’s personal airplane, operated by Air Zimbabwe, is not believed to be affected by the cancellation.

DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Finance Alf Lees however, disagreed saying the grounding of flights, between SAA and Air Zimbabwe, seemed to be due to the diplomatic impasse over the assault charges against Zimbabwean First Lady, Grace Mugabe.

“Now, it seems that tensions between Zimbabwe and South Africa are mounting, leading to airlines being grounded.”

He called on Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba to urgently address “these concerning incidents”.

“The silence from our government on the Grace Mugabe matter has been deafening. The reality is that the South African government has completely mishandled this situation, which is now affecting the operations of the national airline.”

Meanwhile, a "red-alert" was issued by police in the event that Grace attempted to cross the SA border after she allegedly assaulted a 20-year-old model in a Sandton Hotel on Sunday.

Air Zimbabwe is operated by Mugabe’s son-in-law, Simba Chikore.

In 2011, an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767-200 was seized in London over a $1.2m debt. Later that year, a Boeing 737-500 was impounded by South African authorities after the airline failed to pay a $500 000 debt, the African Independent reported.

In April, all five Air Zimbabwe planes operating in South Africa were grounded when it was declared not airworthy.

In May, the airline was banned from flying to Europe over safety concerns.

Got to love the African mentality, First Lady committed a crime in RSA, entitled SOH wants emunity, RSA takes to long, we will show them. Stop flight that effect foreign hunters that bring money into our destitute country, giving foreign hunters an other reason to avoid Zimbabwe. Got to love socialists

I have 4 clients that were on the 1:00 fro My HRE to JNB. They had been hunting with CM. They are now booked in the morning in air Zim to JNB then delta home. Hoping the countries don't get in a pissing match and everything is grounded. Cost them $5000 to change flights. More Mugabe madness.

A match made in heaven: Socialist African Airways and Grace Mugabe. Reminds me of Winnie Mandela, another piece of work. Delusional and more dangerous than their husbands.

So let's see: book a hunt in Zim for 2018 and deal with 1. election roadblocks and violence 2. poached out concessions 3. airline cancellations 4. ever-changing regulations regarding the importation of trophies and 5. getting outed in social media because one of the trophies you shot had a name.

I don't think there are too many spaces left for nails in this coffin. If you have to hunt Zim, better get it done this year. And plan on driving across the border. From Johannesburg, you can be in Bulawayo in one day.

Or avoid South Africa altogether if you are hunting in Zimbabwe.

Far too many good people operating in Zimbabwe to this affect your choice.

Glad I got out of there on Thursday when I did.

Great news, just kidding. Leaving for Zim via SA on Sept 2 guess we will see what happens.

Jeesh, i fly out wed morning. Fly into bulawayo. I guess my ph may be driving to jburg to pock us up

News is out that she is back in Zimbabwe, so hopefully this is solved.

Yip I have just seen the notice of our government giving her diplomatic immunity

Not that there was any doubt of the insanity of the decisions of some in government over there, this confirms it.

We are presently at the airport in Joberg.
SAA is indeed flying to Harare, but flights are quite overbooked due to the weekend shenanigans. We have been bumped to a later flight, so won't get to camp until tomorrow, but at least we are getting there.

Private ranch hunts in RSA are looking better and better.

As I have stated before, the biggest threats to hunting in Africa for US citizens is getting gouged on shipping trophies back and bureaucratic nonsense.

BH63

I wonder if this in retaliation for the fact that RSA has filed assault charges against Mrs. Mugabe?

BH63

Emerites is looking better everyday.

She needs a diplomatic partition er pardon

^
LOL!!

BH63

All back to normal for time being...I flew out of Bulawayo on Saturday to Joberg...then home.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
All back to normal for time being...I flew out of Bulawayo on Saturday to Joberg...then home.

What route do you take back to the States? I was on the Delta 201 evening flight back to Atlanta on Saturday night...

I usually fly to NYC overnight and fly the morning SAA flight out of JFK...arrive in Joberg early in the morning...into Zim somewhere by noon.

I then take the midday flight out of the Falls or Bulawayo to Joberg and the evening SAA flight into Dulles back. Into DC early and on to Dallas by midday...usually when there is no hurricane in TX.