Posted on 10/17/2005 7:21:28 AM PDT by LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe was last night branded "heartless" after he commandeered a London-bound Air Zimbabwe plane to the Italian capital Rome, sparking a four-hour wait for hundreds of passengers after the plane ran out fuel.
Air Zimbabwe has been forced to cancel several domestic, regional and international flights due to a crippling fuel shortage and the company's terrible track record of failing to pay for refueling and landing fees at airports around the world.
Mugabe and his entourage flew into a political storm in Rome Saturday where he was invited by the United Nations. The United States said it was "amazed" by the UN agencies' decision to invite the 81-year-old leader who is banned from travel throughout the European Union, although he can attend UN events.
Furious passengers told New Zimbabwe.com how Mugabe and his group forced a deviation in the plane's route, a decision which led to a four-hour grounding of the plane after Air Zimbabwe failed to pay soon after a refueling had been done.
"It seems Air Zimbabwe were afraid to tell Mugabe that the fuel would not complete the journey," said a passenger on the plane. "Frankly, I was pissed off that our journey was altered to suite Mugabe who dumped us when he got to his destination."
Another passenger confirmed seeing refueling trucks approaching the plane. He described dramatic scenes of seeing the plane's captain angrily remonstrating with one of the men who did the refueling.
"For long periods, we were just being told there was a problem. The nature of the problem was not revealed to us," said the passenger who cannot be named.
"Many people thought Mugabe had caused the problem, if not politically, at least by having diverted the plane and the fuel question was never far from people's lips. Watching the captain arguing with the airport guy, we were pretty much convinced at that point that Air Zimbabwe had not paid for refueling.
"I got the sense that the plane's captain was just a pawn in a grand game. It was heartless for Mugabe and the Air Zimbabwe people to expose him the way they did."
It was not the first time an Air Zimbabwe flight had been grounded after Air Zimbabwe failed to settle its bill. Last month, we exclusively revealed how flights to Harare from London were temporarily suspended after a plane was grounded by airport authorities over non-payment of landing fees.
Aviation experts have expressed fears that the severe foreign currency shortages in Zimbabwe have forced Air Zimbabwe to "cut corners" after failing to buy spares and properly service their planes thereby threatening passenger safety.
The airliner has also come under fire for running unproductive routes tailored to reflect Mugabe's 'Look East' policy. Early last month, the airliner embarrassingly admitted flying only three passengers on its Bangkok-Dubai route.
The Air Zimbabwe spokesman was unavailable to comment last night.
Ping
Why is the Pope catering to a murderer?
What did the Pope do?
This was a UN invitation.
Why doesn't Mugabe just do the whole world a big favor and drop dead?
socialism, the guided path to prosperity, equality, and happiness
OK, I thought I had read an article title yesterday which said the mugabe was meeting the Pope.
My mistake, carry on.
This country is so bankrupt that they cannot even pay for one fueling of one airplane.
Seems to me that this country is ripe for invasion by any army. Hell, a group of boy scouts armed with single-shot .22 rifles would do the trick.
Too late, Laz. My imaginary friend already conquered Zimbabwe with a BB gun.
He's just doing Ali's old Pope-a-dope boxing strategy.
Chris Walken and his Dogs of War. They could set Zim right in 15 minutes. Mugabe's last moment before burning hell needs to be him staring into the business end of a street sweeper
As long as the producers get the shaft, no price is too high.
Some African dictators have been known to practice cannibalism. Don't you find it rather disturbing that you can find a caterer for that?
At the Laz household, human flesh is all I serve.
Tastes like long pig.
Got it, thanks.
Isn' that Hillary's THIRD WAY?
Only the United Nations under Kofi would slap the freedom loving nations around the world in the face with this invitation to Mugabe. Someone should have impounded the plane for non-payment.
The Kraken lives in Rome. Therefore I'd like to present a question as conceptually relevant as yours:
Why is the Big Green Sea Monster catering to a murderer?
Good idea. I'm hereby deputizing you, Lazamataz, and entrusting you with the responsibility of putting together an army and invading. Godspeed.
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