Zim Hiring

[Coleman Myers]

While the subject of Harare is so hot just wanted to share some info on Zim companies. I have sent CV's but on further investigation I found:

CENTRAL AIR - advertise Caravan and Dornier capability but in fact own a C206, a Baron and and Iron Thrush - employ locals only

ZIMBABWE CARGO AIRLINES - paper airline

ALLIANCE - employ locals only

DEBONAIR - emplys locals only

PEGASUS - training only

GUTHRIE - training only

WHELSON AIR - employ locals only

BON ESPOIR - employ locals only

WHEELS - employ locals only

BRECO - employ locals only

SAGIATT - employ locals only

ZIMBABWE AIR LEASING - employ locals only

AIR ZIMBABWE - employ locals only

SEFOFANE - employ locals only

SOUTHERN CROSS AVIATION - employ locals only

In short don't bother with Zim...........

[McGreaser]

Am lost ! l thought most airlines in any country usually give first preference to locals. If there is a grave shortage then obviously foreigners will also be considered. So l don't see anything sinister with the situation in Zim. Should the need/position arise am sure you will be contacted in due course. If you have nothing to say please don't say it here

[Rhodie]

McGreaser -

Crawley, Surrey.... bit far from Africa, innit...?

Now, I dont know what your Africa experience is - but the point Coleman M is trying to make is quite valid and is informatory to all others out there maybe considering Mickey Mug's land for job prospects.

See, things on the dark continent dont always work the same way as in the rest of the 3rd rock. It is NOT the best man for the job, it is NOT the qualifications, it is NOT the fact that your next aerial bus driver may only have a standard 6 (with no maths), it IS, however, about colour, country and if Blair and Bush are in or out of favour.

When you have read a few of Mugabe's comments about his love of all things British and specifically his absolute hatred for anything white - then maybe comment...

To quote: "If you have nothing to say please don't say it here"



R

[Coleman Myers]

ZIM WORK SITUATION

Sorry to have offended McGreaser, just trying to stop those out of a job and a bit short of cash from spending too much time and money on the Zim scene.In some of the companies cases "local" is very specific.I also think your signature was a little aggresive. It is a forum not a boxing ring.If you take a look at my previous postings they are generally meant to help rather than just speculate.

Thanks for the back-up RHODIE, sounds like you did your time over the ZAMBEZI and know "the buzz"

Cheers from the AERCLUB OF EAST AFRICA

Att: McGreaser

Please see thread "JOBS IN AFRICA" to get a better idea of why I posted my thread to begin with and of the number of people out there looking for work at the moment

[moo]

a few years back I saw an air zim advert in the back of flight wanting type-rated, experienced 767 drivers

[V1 Rotate]

Coleman,

Your post was absolutly correct. It is crucial to this forum that we all contribute all the info we can.
Your detractor only serves to illustrate just how out of touch with the realities of Africa those living in the "first" world realy are.
Without Mugbabes maniacal behaviour Zim would be crying out for good pilots regardless of colour or creed.

Never forget who put Mugabe in power in the first place!

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[Flying Bean]

If I can put in my 2 cents.

If you contact the Zambian Operators by mail you are likely to get the same response.
We will always look for the local option first. If the crew are not there, then we look overseas. But we are then obligued by Immigration and DCA to adverstise locally. We then have to go through a rigourous proceedure for work permits.(Valid for 1 or maybe 2 years)
The system varies from year to year. In past years we have sometimes taken on up to 3 foreign pilots.
But the scrutiny of Immigration is not based on supply and demand, more on politics. Some years work permits are tough, other years very tough. It is NEVER easy. 2004 is very very tough.
This year we have fortunately mangaged to recruit 3 locals.
During 2003 Zambia did a complete overhaul of work permits. EVERY permit holder in ALL industries had to reapply, even if he had only got his permit 3 months before.

So it may be that those are the answers you are getting in Zim, but it does not mean it is a completely closed door. If an Operator wanted to start a C208 float plane on Kariba, then he might get clearance to hire foreign ( just an example, I know at least 2 float plane pilots in Zim).

Good Luck

[Coleman Myers]

Thanks

Thanks for input from V1 and Flying Bean.On the ZAMBIAN issue, I believe several ZIM companies are heading north of the Zambezi and offering good value ACMI and DRY LEASE rates on various types to ZAMBIAN operators like PROFLIGHT. STAR OF AFRICA have now got a B200 in addition to the CHIEFTAN and small pistons and I heard AIR WAVES have brought a BEECHCRAFT 1900 with EUROPEAN AID money.All this may lead to a good opportunity for non-locals to get in there for the 2004 tourist season.

Moo, I believe that advert was made not long after the Air Zimbabwe board fired its IRISH MD and most of its "non specific local" flight crew feel very unwelcome.A real shame as I understand AIR ZIM was an African success story for many years. I am told the rot set in when the first wave of Air Force recruits after 1980 decided to de-bus and go civvy. Apparently they felt a 737 job was their right after 400 hours in a Genet over ten years ?.

I will continue to make positive input on the forum wherever possible. Thanks for the encouragement.

[mercman]

Hey you guys I dont know why you guys are out of work this message is fo zim crew only M.K. are apperently looking for boy pilots and apperently they will be crew with little experience sure you chaps trying hard enough would be a great company to fly for !!!

[gurnzee]

MK does indeed recruit fairly regularly and is a lifeline for those in that part of the world as there aint much else going on career wise there.
One does have to laugh at the word 'local' eh?

[Coleman Myers]

MK job

MK would be good, but having flown for WHELSON AIR or an associated company seems to be a pre-condition to employment.Thanks for the tip though. An "online only" c.v. will be submitted

[Jacobest]

Local is not always "lekker" (nice)

Am lost! l thought most airlines in any country usually give first preference to locals

In South Africa things have changed a lot since 1994. A new South African constitution was written stating that no one in this country will be discriminated against based on their race, sex or religion. Yet in the same time the new government also added Affirmative Action, something normally implemented to favour a minority in a country.

Affirmative Action was implemented to equalize the imbalance caused by apartheid in the old SA. Therefore, Affirmative Action has been introduced in SA to favour the majority and not minority.

WHAT IN THE HELL has this got to do with this forum you may ask?

Well let me tell you. SAA (SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS) is supposed to fill a certain quota of black pilots in its company. Yet, they cannot find enough qualified pilots in SA to fill that quota. So they now hire foreign pilots from countries like ZIMBO, ZAMBIA, KENYA ect.......
And if you think I am talking out my nostrils, contact M-net and ask them for a copy of the Carte Blanche program which focussed on exactly this issue.

Yet you have around 500 SA white pilots who are more than qualified to do the job who are not being considered because of their colour.

So, you have a country with a constitution which says you cannot discriminate but at the same time apply affirmative action?
A country that opposes terrorrism openly, yet have no stance on Robert Mugabe?

And you say you are LOST!
"VIVA AFRICA VIVA" "VIVA DEMOCRACY" "VIVA ONE SETTLER ONE BULLET"

[Coleman Myers]

Preferential hiring

You have my sympathies JACOBEST and I hope that there is not an accident before these government controlled guys sit up and listen. It was Thabos dad Govan who coined the old "one settler one bullet" was'nt it. There used to be a very powerfull airline pilots association lobby is SA - does that still exist ?.I heard they gave MK a tough time for several years ?.

[McGreaser]

Whilst l appreciate efforts from "Ppruners" to share info on employement opportunities, let's not quickly say Zim is not hiring. Honestly speaking which country from Cape to Cairo does anybody know of that has a policy of hiring foreigners ahead of locals ? The situation that happenened in South Africa is of course due to a few trained black pilots not that SAA has a policy to hire black pilots in the region. In Europe getting a job without a JAA licence and the right to live and work is a mission. They are also protecting their industry in as much as everyone pilot association/regulatory body would do. Have heard of the power that the South African association wields/wielded but with the government stepping in then am sure they are quite powerless. Mr Myers l sympathise with you and wish you the best in your quest but for you to say Zim not hiring is inappropriate.

Local is always lekker exce..........

[Cardinal Puff]

A step farther....

Our glorious revolutionary comrades at the SACAA are also not hiring mazungus in great numbers (or at all if they can avoid it). A number of top jobs were filled by imports from other African countries while qualified South Africans were passed over for some reason (too pale?). AA is a poor excuse for racism.

[B Sousa]

CM
Not to digress to far but you did mention cheers from Aero Club of Est Africa. one of my fondest memories was quaffing Gin/Tonics there. By the way Nairobis favorite Sir Simon was here in Vegas at HAI the other day. Make sure he brings you home some toys.........

[McGreaser]

I think we are now digressing from the original thread ! The point Myers was trying to make is that Zim isn't hiring. Yet he goes on to say MK is hiring "locals". Air Zim is hiring locals, the other smaller companies are also recruiting locals/"locals". So really what is your point ? Your chances of being recruited in Zim are very slim since the locals/"locals" seem to be getting hired ahead of you ! Why haven't you said the same thing about Zambia, Malawi, South Africa, Lesotho, Ethiopia, Gambia, Nigeria etc ? I can bet you my bottom dollar the situation in all those countries is very similar to what you have in Zim. Raising the issue of racism and AA l would presume wasn't your intention as raised by fellow members. Understand l'm not denying/quashing you the previlege/right of using this forum to acquire/disseminate information on career prospects.

To the other gentlemen who made contributions with political/racial conotations let's stick to the original topic. If anybody wants issues of such a nature to be raised you can gladly start that as a new topic but for the purposes of the original thread l will "puff an' pass"..........

[V1 Rotate]

McGreaser,
You obviously do not know what you are talking about as any employment issues in Africa are unfortunately intertwined with racial/AA implications.
The whole point is that the aviation industry ought to be a little more international and by it's nature should be based wholly on the merit of the aplicant...in Africa it isn't
If you want someone to comand a 737 your choices should be based on their merit in the flight-deck not on the color of their skin or their religion or their political affiliations.
The reality for everyone who lives and works in the Dark Continent is that Racism and Nepotisn rule supreme these days. So the discussion therof in this forum is unfortunately unavoidable.
I personally choose to live and work in the so called "First World" now, not because I can't find work in Africa, but because I refuse to be stuffed around by Nepotistic,Racist/AA officials anymore! Mind you I'm fast getting a gutful of all the liberals here!

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