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Freeman Razemba Senior Reporter

THE Government has appointed Mr Edmund Murambiwa Makona as acting chief executive officer of Air Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd with immediate effect.

Mr Makona replaces Mr Tafadzwa Zaza who has been the acting chief executive officer for the national airline for the past 16 months.

In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development confirmed the development.

“The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and Air Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd board wish to advise members of the public and all stakeholders in the aviation sector, that the Board of Air Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd has appointed Mr Edmund Murambiwa Makona as acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the national airline with effect from 12 April 2023.

“Mr Makona has been appointed in terms of Section 14 (4) (b) of the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act [Chapter 10:31] for the next six months, the period within which the board projects to have recruited a substantive CEO. He has taken over from Mr Tafadzwa Zaza who has been the acting CEO for the past 16 months and 21 days.

“The board is grateful to Mr Zaza for his service to the airline during his tenure as the Acting CEO,” reads the statement.

Mr Makona is an aviation expert who has worked in the aviation industry for more than three decades.

At the time of his appointment, Mr Makona was a Board Member of Air Zimbabwe.

“He is a top-level aviation Executive with more than three decades of experience. Further, he is an international aviation consultant with an aeronautical engineering background, type rated licensed engineer, aviation quality, safety and security expert and a trainer for aircraft engineers and pilots ground school. The board wishes to tap into his vast experience as a former CEO of Air Zimbabwe, who successfully relaunched the Airline in 2013.

“With an aviation career spanning over 38 years, he also served as President of the African Airlines (AFRAA) and as an independent consultant for IATA on various African airline missions. We look forward to unlocking value from his expertise as he complements the Board in devising and executing strategies and leading team efforts that will produce significant business turnaround at Air Zimbabwe during his six-month stint,” the ministry said.

“The ministry and board wish Mr Makona and management, great success as they spearhead Air Zimbabwe’s recovery process, through the implementation of the Air Zimbabwe six-year strategic turnaround plan, with the view to developing a dependable airline, with a robust hub and spoke network; with Harare and Victoria Falls as the main and tourist hubs respectively.”