Man held in Zim for stealing helicopter
Moderator
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Hilton, Sheraton or Marriott
Posts: 1,817
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Man held in Zim for stealing helicopter
Doesn't sound right but where there's smoke there's fire - anyone know anything more?
Sure, the chopper goes missing in the early 80's & they just caught up with him now. 
4HP
A prominent Victoria Falls tour operator has been arrested for allegedly stealing a government helicopter shortly after Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980. It was reported on Wednesday that the operator apparently flew the aircraft to Zambia, where he was using it for his own business. Deputy police commander of Matabeleland North Edward Mbewe confirmed the arrest. Other police sources said the tour operator, who moved to Zambia soon after independence, took the four-seater helicopter in the early 1980s. They said he flew the helicopter into the neighbouring Zambia, where he allegedly started flying tourists over the Victoria Falls. A source said: "He stole the helicopter, which he re-painted and converted to his own use. In Zambia, he opened a company called Southern Cross Airways that was flying tourists over the mighty Victoria Falls from that side." The sources said the tour operator took advantage of the handing over of equipment from the colonial regime to the present government to steal the chopper. The source said the matter only came to light after an independent task force began investigations into government machinery that was missing.
4HP
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: AU,ZW
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Chopper 'Stolen' from Zim in 1980's - Recent Arrest!
Anyone know anything more about the 'stolen chopper', taken from zim to zambia and operated by Southern Cross Airways at the falls in the 1980's, reported in the press recently?
<See report copied below>
Sunday Times Mon 16th October 2006
Zim tour operator 'stole' chopper
Wednesday October 11, 2006 11:52 - (SA)
A prominent Victoria Falls tour operator has been arrested for allegedly stealing a government helicopter shortly after Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980.
Harare's Herald newspaper reported that the operator apparently flew the aircraft to Zambia where he was using it for his own business.
Deputy police commander of Matabeleland North Edward Mbewe confirmed the arrest.
Other police sources said the tour operator, who moved to Zambia soon after independence, took the four-seater helicopter in the early 1980s.
They said he flew the helicopter into the neighbouring Zambia where he allegedly started flying tourists over the Victoria Falls.
"He stole the helicopter, which he re-painted and converted to his own use. In Zambia he opened a company called Southern Cross Airways that was flying tourists over the mighty Victoria Falls from that side," a source said.
The sources said the tour operator took advantage of the handing over of equipment from the colonial regime to the present government to steal the chopper.
The source said the matter only came to light when an independent task force began investigations into government machinery that was missing.
Sapa
Interesting ..
<See report copied below>
Sunday Times Mon 16th October 2006
Zim tour operator 'stole' chopper
Wednesday October 11, 2006 11:52 - (SA)
A prominent Victoria Falls tour operator has been arrested for allegedly stealing a government helicopter shortly after Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980.
Harare's Herald newspaper reported that the operator apparently flew the aircraft to Zambia where he was using it for his own business.
Deputy police commander of Matabeleland North Edward Mbewe confirmed the arrest.
Other police sources said the tour operator, who moved to Zambia soon after independence, took the four-seater helicopter in the early 1980s.
They said he flew the helicopter into the neighbouring Zambia where he allegedly started flying tourists over the Victoria Falls.
"He stole the helicopter, which he re-painted and converted to his own use. In Zambia he opened a company called Southern Cross Airways that was flying tourists over the mighty Victoria Falls from that side," a source said.
The sources said the tour operator took advantage of the handing over of equipment from the colonial regime to the present government to steal the chopper.
The source said the matter only came to light when an independent task force began investigations into government machinery that was missing.
Sapa
Interesting ..
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: abroad
Age: 54
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Unfortunately, this is a case of particularily bad reporting again from newspapers. The "helicopter" they are refering to is an aeroplane, which wasn't stolen and taken to Zambia. Southern Cross operates from Zimbabwe not Zambia anyway. I doubt very much there is any substance to this story at all.
