A Zimbabwean online publication reports that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s helicopter, which crash-landed recently while he was travelling to Harare, had a faulty power system and dysfunctional battery.
According to the privately-owned eNewsHawks, preliminary investigations showed that the chopper’s cockpit avionics indicated that the battery was not charging mid-air, prompting the pilot to opt for an emergency landing near Sandringham, about 64 kilometers south-west of Harare.
Quoting unnamed sources, the online publication reports that Mnangagwa immediately ordered the tightening of security and an improvement of the communication system following a failure in the relaying of messages by his aides and air traffic controllers at Manyame Airbase.
Mnangagwa has also beefed up his motorcade and brought in Airforce of Zimbabwe signalers to reinforce his communication system when he flies out of Harare, according to eNewsHawks. He normally travels to his Precabe Farm in Sherwood, Kwekwe, at weekends.
According to eNewsHawks, Mnangagwa was terrified about the incident.
Presidential spokesperson, George Charamba, and Information Secretary, Nich Mangwana, were unavailable for comment.