The Sunday Mail
Itai Mazire
South African millionaires with small aircraft have allegedly been sneaking into the country, mainly the Matabeleland South region, and engaging in underhand gold, ivory and cigarette smuggling dealings in recent years, The Sunday Mail Extra has established.Investigations carried by this paper can reveal that the tight-knit web of the SA-based millionaires and their Zimbabwean fronts have acquired pieces of land in various parts of the country and are using these as their landing pads when they sneak into the country.
Officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the SA nationals fly at tree-top level when they are in Zimbabwe airspace so as to evade the country’s radar systems.
The revelations have raised concerns over the possibility of terrorists entering the country undetected. Dangerous weapons and illegal drugs could be smuggled into the country.
Security experts say such activities need to be closely monitored as they could compromise national security.
Last week’s arrest and sentencing of SA millionaire Fredrick Wilhelm August Lutzkie, who buried his R22 Robison helicopter after crashing at Doddieburn ranch, has opened a Pandora’s box.
Deputy Commissioner-General Operations Innocent Matibiri told this paper that police working with the CAAZ were still investigating the Doddieburn ranch crash.
“CAAZ is leading the investigation of the helicopter and as the police we are worried if aircraft or helicopters are sneaking into the country. The police have their own way of operating and will carry their own investigations,” said Deputy Commissioner Matibiri before referring this reporter to national police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba.
Efforts to get a comment from Senior Assistant Commissioner Charamba were fruitless as she was said to be in meetings.
Lutzkie’s helicopter crash has exposed the underworld smuggling racket amid revelations that Doddieburn ranch belongs to the Russian mafia descendant.
Doddieburn ranch is under Gwanda Town Council’s jurisdiction and is being leased to one Lawrence Botha, who is allegedly Lutzkie’s front.
Appearing before the courts last week, Lutzkie pleaded guilty to 14 counts of contravening sections of the Civil Aviation Act and the Immigration Act.
He flew into the country several times from February 1 to 28 without authorisation from CAAZ.
The millionaire continued to do so while at the same time evading immigration authorities until his May 5 crash.
The SA government has since distanced itself from the reports that small aircraft were sneaking from their country into Zimbabwe.
South African Police Services spokesperson Colonel Bish Naidoo said their police force had not yet received any reports of small aircraft illegally flying out of their country.
“We have checked with Limpopo and Kwazulu Natal airstrips and we have no reports of that nature,” said Col Naidoo before referring this reporter to the country’s Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS).
The ATNS external communications officer, Mr Percy Morokane, responded to this paper’s written questions saying, “Zimbabwe is a sovereign state and so is its airspace.
“We cannot be responding to activities that take place within the Zimbabwean airspace. We cannot comment on allegations of aircraft flying between the two countries. For the record, aircraft logs are kept by the owners who are, in this instance, airlines,” wrote Mr Morokane.
Sources in the police force said a report from the Matabeleland South police about SA-based helicopters and small aircraft sneaking into the country over the years had since been brought before police chiefs.
Early this year, a helicopter crashed in the same province about 6 kilometres out of Gwanda town.
The owner of the Robinson R44 chopper, prominent South Africa-based Beitbridge tycoon Christian Malila Ndou, was killed in the crash.
It has not yet been established whether Ndou had flown into the country legally.
Contacted for comment, CAAZ chief executive officer Mr David Chawota said investigations on the small aircraft were still underway.
“Following that crash in Matabeleland South, CAAZ has since opened up its investigations and it will be premature for us to give a comment about small aircraft or helicopters sneaking into the country,” he said.
Early this year, this paper exposed the underworld cartels involved in the smuggling of cigarettes into SA by both locals and their counterparts across the Limpopo.
The syndicates are said to be using small aircraft and helicopters to smuggle cigarettes into SA where there is a lucrative market for the cancer sticks.
