Presidential Helicopter Crash

Mnangagwa Celebrates Birthday

A presidential helicopter scheduled to take President Emmerson Mnangagwa back to Harare from Bikita where he had proceeded after officiating at the launch of Munhumutapa Day – which embodies his own birthday that he celebrated today – at Great Zimbabwe Monuments crashed soon after take-off at Masvingo Airport.

Mnangagwa, who was born in Zvishavane on 15 September 1942, which means he turned 82 today, was in Masvingo for his birthday celebrations and launch of the Munhumutapa Day that will become a national event in his honour.

The airport, which usually caters for small chartered and military aircraft, is located three kilometres east of the town.

The helicopter only had crew members.

One was reportedly injured.

There we no casualties.

The Vice-Presidents were not in the helicopter as reported by some media outlets.Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga did not even attend Mnangagwa’s birthday event and celebrations at the launch of Munhumutapa Day at Great Zimbabwe, located 30km southeast of Masvingo town.

Vice-President Kembo Mohadi attended, but was also not in the helicopter.

A source told The NewsHawks: “The helicopter was supposed to take off at Masvingo Airport late today afternoon and go to Bikita to fetch the President back to Harare. There were actually two helicopters.

“Upon take-off, the presidential helicopter suddenly developed a technical failure and crashed to the ground, with big impact. There were three crew members and one was injured. There were no fatalities.”

Mnangagwa had reportedly gone for a visit in Bikita where his father Mafidi is buried.

Bikita is Mnangagwa’s original home before they moved to Mapanzure area in Zvishavane.

However, there are several versions of where Mnangagwa is originally from. This is just one of them.

In August 2021, Mnangagwa’s presidential helicopter was dramatically forced into an emergency landing over 60 kilometres south-west of Harare due to technical failures.

The chopper, which was flying from Mnangagwa’s Precabe Farm in Sherwood, Kwekwe, landed at farm owned by a ministry of Finance official.

That forced a security overhaul.

A NewsHawks journalist who broke the story was hounded out of his home at the time by state security agents, while his inside sources were flushed out and punished by the same state security services.At attempt to get comment from Mnangagwa’s media and communications team was unsuccessful last night.

Earlier in the day, President Emmerson Mnangagwa had launched the Munhumutapa National Youth Housing Programme in Victoria Ranch, Masvingo

After launching the Munhumutapa National Youth Housing Programme, President Emmerson Mnangagwa went to Great Zimbabwe Monument to celebrate his birthday there and officially launch Munhumutapa Day in his own honour.