eBusiness Weekly
Sifelani Tsiko
Zimbabwe has had its preeminent aviation experts of their time, who combining an authenticity of experience and an artistic mastery of flying, have placed the country’s aviation on the global map influencing a generation of young air — minded youngsters, many of whom are taking up aviation to higher levels.
Formerly a white dominated field, a significant number of black pilots and other aviation experts have taken service in aviation, earning colours and flying the country’s flag high.
Aviation has become deeply embedded into Zimbabwe’s culture since Independence in 1980 when the government opened opportunities for blacks to take up opportunities in the aviation industry that were formerly a preserve of whites.
Scores of young Zimbabweans took up the challenge and have over the years become aviation celebrities, taking up jobs in major airlines around the world.
They have become our pilot heroes and have fuelled the imagination of many people across the world through their prolific work and global recognition they have earned.
It’s all courtesy of Zimbabwe’s education policies and aggressive push for equal opportunities and reducing the barriers to entering what has typically been a white dominated profession. Through black empowerment policies, scholarships and creation of opportunities, the country helped a lot of young black people to realise their dreams and long — term ambition to fly long haul aircrafts.
Through the Air Force of Zimbabwe, Air Zimbabwe aviation schools and offering of scholarships to study abroad, Zimbabwe was able to offer world — class pilot training for a number of aspiring young black students.
The aviation schools in addition to private aviation schools, prepared a number of black students from poor backgrounds for life – long careers in aviation in various global locations.
Throughout the last four decades, there has been an increase in the number of Zimbabweans taking up various roles within the aviation industry.
The Government found it absolutely imperative to encourage young black Zimbabweans in their formative years to explore the world of aviation and provide them with opportunities for positive learning experiences.
All this helped generate support to broaden black people’s roles in the air force and commercial aviation industry.
“Breaking into the aviation field was not easy for black people in the early 80s,” said Captain Paul Muchatuta, a retired pilot.
“We had to prove that blacks too, were able to fly. We had to demystify that flying was a preserve for whites only. But for pioneers in the early 80s it was not easy as racism was still rife at the time. You had to be tough those days. It was a war to break through into aviation.
In marking the country’s 41st Independence, the Herald captures some of the influential aviation stars who have made Zimbabwe proud and to stand in pole position in the global aviation industry.
It is appropriate to begin with Captain Alex Makanda, an almost forgotten contributor to the development of the country’s aviation sector. Makanda, a retired pilot was the first Zimbabwean who delivered the country’s first Boeing 767 -200 ER from Seattle in the US and landed it safely in 1989 at a time when a crop of white pilots, which was still at Air Zimbabwe feared. He was commended highly for landing the B767 -200 ER, first in 1989 and secondly in 1990, when the country took delivery of the second Boeing aircraft.
Captain Makanda accumulated some 15 000 flying hours, 9000 of them flying the Boeing 767. He earned a lot of respect and recognition for his achievements and mentored scores of other young pilots over the years.
Other notable pilots include Captain George Mwase, Costa Kuuya, Eric Nkomo, Emilia Njovana, Raymond Mukahanana, Charles Chikosi, Charles Mukamba and several others who broke into the field.
Another eminent pilot is Captain Matambanadzo Chakorera, who is a captain for the Airbus A380 at Emirates Airlines — considered as one of the largest passenger jet in the world.
He trained at Guthrie Aviation School and first worked as a pilot in 1997 at Southern Cross Aviation, flying a Cessna 206/207 before joining Air Zimbabwe in 1999 where he flew the Boeing 737 – 200.
Captain Maxwell Chikava is another seasoned pilot now working for Qatar Airways.
He is part of others such as Abedinego Wenjere, Richard Motsi and a few others at Qatar Airways who have done Zimbabwe proud, by joining one of the top airlines in the world.
Sources also say Captain Samora Mlingwa, Joseph Makunda and a number of other Zimbabweans are also working for Emirates, earning the country plaudits for training scores of young black pilots who have since broken into the global aviation sector.
Tsungi Maruta aged 24 is another young high flying Zimbabwean aircraft engineer and trainee pilot who joined British Airways Engineering in 2016 where he works on the airline’s long haul fleet that includes the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and A380 planes.
Anita Mapiye was the first female combat helicopter pilot at the Air Force of Zimbabwe. Since her achievements, a number of women have assumed new roles as pilots and aircraft engineers both at the AFZ and at Air Zimbabwe.
Another champion of the skies is Captain Obet Mazinyi, the first Zimbabwean and black to ever fly for Cathay Pacific — one of the world’s top airlines.
He flies the Boeing 747 jumbo jet. Captain Mazinyi obtained his pilot licence in 1981 after powering through a tough selection process with 3 000 applicants jostling for only 10 places at a flight school in Zambia.
He later joined Air Zimbabwe where he flew the Boeing 707 before leaving to join Air Hong Kong in 1989.
Captain Mazinyi joined Cathay Pacific in 1994 and has worked for the airline for the past 26 years. At present, he is working as a senior instructor and examiner and check captain for Cathay Pacific’s B747 – 400ERF and B747 -800.
When Cathay Pacific stopped its passenger services in 2016, Captain Mazinyi has been flying cargo planes of this airline.
“The same struggles or issues that exist today, as far as finding a sponsor to fund the training as a pilot, existed in those days too. Financing a pilot course has always been an expensive exercise,” Captain Mazinyi was quoted saying in an aviation magazine.
“I first got into a government flight school after a tough selection process, where there were more than 3000 applicants for 10 places for pilot training. That flight school still exists today, Zambia Air services Flying Institute (ZASTI). After I attained my Private Pilots Licence(PPL) I got a sponsorship through Zambia Airways to a British Airways flying college in the UK, the College of Air Training, at Hamble, in Southampton. I graduated in early 1981 with a commercial Pilot’s licence and Instrument Rating.”
An all women flight crew made history on November 13, 2015 when Captain Chipo Matimba and Captain Elizabeth Simbi Petros flew Air Zimbabwe’s Boeing 737 -200 from Harare to Victoria Falls and back.
The women earned recognition and rave reviews in the media, putting them in the local, regional and international spotlight.
The landmark achievement by Matimba and Petros was greeted with enthusiasm and pride among the Zimbabwean women.
At the time they made history, the duo was among the only six female pilots in Air Zimbabwe and the only captains while the others were first officers.
Flight – Lieutenant Angelina Bosha was the first female fighter jet pilot of the Air Force of Zimbabwe, a feat she achieved after completing a year-long training course in China in 2018.
She was the only female in a class made of 14 pilots across the world.
Bosha said she was inspired to join the Air Force by the exploits of Captain Matimba, the force’s first female combat pilot in 1998.
“I had mixed feelings of excitement and fear. I was excited to fly for the first time but scared because it was something new,” Bosha was quoted saying to The Herald way back.
“After achieving this I am now living my dream. Maybe another career goal will come but for now, I think I am at a position I never imagined and the feeling is to stay there.”
At Air Zimbabwe, there was a crop of veteran aviation experts such as Captain Dave Warburton, Captain Alistair Bruce and numerous others who nurtured a whole generation of young black pilots who later made giant leaps into major global airlines.
A lot of Zimbabwean pilots are doing a lot of extraordinary things across the world and as we celebrate our Independence it is important to recognise their potential and celebrate what they have been doing in the aviation industry.
Many have risen to prominence and Zimbabwe tips its hat in their honour.
They succeeded in turning the Air Force of Zimbabwe and Air Zimbabwe from being an elite white bastion to institutions that reflected the country’s black majority rule.
