[quote]SA's Air Link Defends Deal With Flywell
Zimbabwe Independent (Harare)
January 4, 2002
Posted to the web January 4, 2002
Dumisani Muleya
SOUTH African Air Link chief executive Rodger Foster has defended his company's controversial project with Zimbabwe's Flywell Airlines which has provoked a fierce row among local aviation players.
Foster has denied being pushed by Transport and Communications minister Swithun Mombeshora into the deal, saying his company freely decided on its partner without political pressure. He said business considerations took precedence in his company's decision-making process.
"We went through an intricate process and eventually chose Flywell for good reasons," he said. "We are very proud and pleased with them."
Foster said there were local aviation executives hawking "malicious and sour-grapes stories" about the money-spinning deal.
Asked whether his recent meeting with Mombeshora in Harare could have influenced the arrangement in any way, Foster insisted: "Not at all."
Last month a consortium comprising Leo Mugabe, Sobusa Gula-Ndebele and his brother Evans accused Mombeshora of hijacking their project and handing it over to Flywell, which is run locally by Forbes Magadu and former Air Zimbabwe captain Eric Mataba.
Evans Ndebele described the deal as "corrupt" but Mombeshora rejected the accusations.
The airline project saga, which initially generated a flurry of responses from local players, took a new twist just before Christmas after another company, Sol Aviation, laid claim to the lucrative deal, saying the Mugabe-Ndebele group had hijacked its project.
Sol Aviation managing director Nkosilathi Sibanda accused the former Zimbabwe Express Airlines executives of masquerading as his company's representatives and intercepting his project.
Foster said South African Air Link chose Flywell, currently trading as Air Link Zimbabwe, ahead of the Mugabe-led group - which was also due to be called Air Link Zimbabwe - because it offered a better proposal.
"We did not choose the Ndebele brothers because we chose Flywell. I can't disclose the reasons," he said. "We did not sign a memorandum of understanding with Sol Aviation because its shareholding could not be clarified in time but I have high regard for Sibanda."
Foster dismissed claims that Flywell was a "briefcase company" for South African Air Link
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