Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has decided to charter an Executive Jet for his trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the 36th Ordinary Session of Heads of State Assembly of the African Union. The President has hired a 1990 ZS-SGC Bombardier Challenger 601 owned by Luxaviation, which recently acquired ExecuJet Lanseria, a private jet charter operating from South Africa.
Zambia has two executive presidential jets, including the old Challenger and a brand new G650 Gulf Stream, which the President has refused to use and has stated he will put up for sale. The G650 Gulfstream recently underwent annual maintenance and mechanical service in Dubai, costing the country over $10 million.
The decision to charter an Executive Jet has raised concerns among the public, given the current economic crisis and high cost of living faced by the Zambian people. President Hichilema has taken 32 international trips in the past 16 months, and his foreign travels have been a subject of public discussion.
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba has called on the President to exercise prudence and save resources by using one of the two presidential jets parked in the hangar, instead of chartering a private jet. He pointed out that there is a daily commercial flight to Addis Ababa, which the President could have taken instead.
Despite the controversy surrounding his mode of travel, President Hichilema arrived in Addis Ababa on February 17, 2023, to participate in the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, which will convene on 18th to 19th February, 2023. The Summit, with the theme “Accelerated Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area,” brings together all African Heads of State and Heads of various institutions in one place, presenting an opportunity to network with all relevant players in the developmental discourse.
The President has committed to restoring the country’s confidence in the global community in order to attract more investment and grow the country’s Gross Domestic Product. He has continued to underscore the need for increased trade and investment on the continent, as countries work to fulfill the agenda of common development aspirations in order to make Africa a prosperous and peaceful continent that meets the needs of its citizens.
On the margins of the Summit, President Hichilema is also expected to hold bilateral meetings, which present an opportunity for Zambia to advance and protect its national interests at the continental level, as well as be part of the decision-making process in key areas such as regional integration, peace and security, good governance, food security, and nutrition.
Ubututu and arrogance are not a good combination
What happened to commercial plains like Ethiopian Airlines?
HH is playing with his life, taking high risks on his friends planes.
Insurance must be extremely expensive, risking a president who has AirForce?
He should be paying with his money. We the taxpayers have already paid for the two jet planes that he has parked. If he respects the people he should not misuse their money. Even State House must be used. Thats what we built it for. He is supposed to use the planes and houses we have provided. If he thinks these are too cheap for him he should pay from his pocket.
He is a captured president….. he has to pay his masters in one way or the other…
You never advised Chagwa on taking Commercial flights but today you’re wise.
Aini, chiwamila garu kuluma mbuzi ….
So if what Lungu did was wrong but wasn’t criticized it’s ok for Mr Hakainde to do it? I thought the reason among many you voted for HH was to correct things.
Your reasoning is the reason why we’re poor.
Who knows, HH could be a party to this jet.
I’m virtually certain all leaders are given advice – it’s just whether or not they take it & correct. What’s not in doubt though, is what befalls those that are impervious to advice.
Think before you tap. Lungu was long booted out for his bad goodreasons. It is HH we the appointing authority is eandibg from him. Behave and account for your trips, chartribg planes and meeting infestors in his house, avoiding state oversight.
only useful I D I O T S wont see wrong in this..Such people are a curse to this nation.I pity them.
You guys who want our President climbing those high stairs to Gulf Stream did you see how Joe Biden stumbled and fell down nine times? You want our President who recently came from the village to trip and fall just the same? This ka hired plane has only got four stairs. Its safer
Just what is the problem with Emmanuel Mwamba. He wrote the same article word for word when the President chattered the same plane to to go to Namibia for the SADC meeting. The sooner he realizes that HH is here for the long haul until 2031 the better for him. This bitterness, which is like poison, will kill him.
Kulibonesha .
That is only in your mind what people have experienced since this man came into power have sent shock waves through out this country , his behaviour that he is not a man of his own words have made millions of people to be regretting that they made a mistake .
The mistakes he has made are too massive to count he has completely forgotten to who took him to state house , and has been blinded that it is only the three provinces that helped him to make to plot one , all those people he left out will dislodge him out in 2026 no matter what ever he does they will move him out.
There is no bitterness here you are just a foolish praise singer
You people don’t understand… going to school, becoming rich won’t change the villager.
State House, Presidential jets etc have been smeared with charms by the former occupant and user….. this is the reasoning by the new occupant as per advice by some chief somewhere.
LOL.
It sounds so true. There’s heavy superstitions in this villager. I think he is waiting for rituals to be done before he can touch anything Lungu touched. Chiluba was equally brainwashed but his superstition arose from hyper suspicions.
It is in the genetic make of Tongas and Lozis. The fear of being bewitched. He has a fear that Edgar Lungu and his side kick Sikazwe may have planted charms in both planes and cars. Have you wondered why he will not move into State House? He does not want to cut his hair for fear barbers may use it for charms. This man is backward!
So what is forward…are you telling me you would ignore the advice of your traditional consultants? This type of so called forward thinking got a lot of missionaries killed in Luapula.
kapena niwocenjera?
What a utter sheer waste of money by Hakiande why hire another Bombardier Challenger when you have another one even though the capacity is less by 3-4 passengers why not send them forward on commerical flight. What is at Heads of State Assembly of the African Union that’s so important apart from farts reading meaningless speeches and begging for money from others. He has now got a taste for Private Jets there is no turning back and he will be even be more thick skinned and arrogant about it,
I call the AU where dull people discuss dullness…. how else can explain why foreign countries are funding the organization… how can they discuss sense. Only Mugabe talked sense.
@Tarino Orange. Even someone under the age of 18 with half a brain cannot support such nonsense
IllSayWhatIWant – HH will send his media director who got a loan of about $60,000 to procure a luxury jeep for his wife to go and defend him!!
Deja Vu – These farts will talk about nothings like climate change they dont understand in Addis whilst drinking tea and wine when they came on private jets but will not confront the Ethophian leaders about the immigrants from Ethophia risking their lives everyday in airtight truck containers to get to RSA.
If HH had smart advisers he would have used this opportunity to fly low making enetity called Zambian Airlines to Addis but us Zambians have no faith in our products or support local business.
loss-making
Let’s say we take his ‘moral conviction’ conviction about using the newer jet. Why won’t he use the older one but prefers to lease a jet at 2 million dollars per day?
Someone needs to investigate who owns the company we are leasing from.
Not surprising coming from this arrogant chicarla. We in pf know how pompous it is.
If indeed the president fears to be witched because he is the president why did he campaign to become one , these are strange things coming to our ears what is wrong in staying at presidential house built for all siting presidents .
Suspicious people are very dangerous he is even afraid of his own shadow , those planes at state house are yours until you live that office, don’t waste tax payers money on your on thinking witchcraft , the money you are spending on hiring planes can be used to buy medicines in hospitals and deal with subsidies on essentials , unfortunately you are consuming alone
Corruption is not only about overcharging government projects…. it’s much more.
2031 viva
I’m sure you are looking at PF because people will think thrice before giving them a vote… you are wrong….by 2026 there emerge a force your party will fail to contain other than imprisonment of the members of this force.
Savings account.
A country with 2 presidential jets and you go and charter another one? Even if this jet has been provided free, it’s immoral. This is taking the biscuit at the highest level and all sensible Zambians should condemn it. 2H is surely showing his true colours.
“Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has decided to charter an Executive Jet for his trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia”-LT
In Bemba they say ba tumpamo iminwe.
It’s because of GRZ officials the minority investment is in that mess. Your needs are attended to first using taxpayer resources.
“Luke 16:10-14 ERV
Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with big things. Whoever is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in big things too. If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, you will not be trusted with the true riches.”
GRZ and IMF minority investment is crucial too, especially in the success of non grade 7 graduates.
I hate this new Lusaka Times website, comments were better with numbers and flags. I would like to correct Future zed above, that jet isn’t free, we are paying close to 2 million dollars per day.
I am very curious to know the ownership of the company, and I also wish our journalists were creative. HH has promised to sale that jet, will it be sold to the same company?
Also, I still want an answer as to why he can’t use the old jet, nikukonda luxury olo bwanji?
I remember in his fight trip to the US, he used commercial flights and most people applauded his cost saving measures.
Now we are renting luxury jets?
They said they were updating the platform but launched an even obsolete one….the UK based Impostor will have a field day without location flags!!
British, Japanese, German Prime Ministers/ Chancellors all travel using commercial airlines. They travel with full of regular passengers on board. HH and his entourage should have boarded Emirates or KLM Airlines to and from Addis Ababa, if he really wants to demonstrate cost cutting measures by example to the nation.
TYPICAL ARMCHAIR CRITICS AS USUAL !!
NOT ONE QUSTIONING THE REASONS FOR NOT USING THE CHALLENGERS
OR BOTHERING TO FIND OUT
Tikki – Please tell us the reason for not using Challenger? Has it gone for service? Please dont tell us that because Flight radar states no activity in the last 7 days. I mean why hire when Kenyan, Ethophian, Zambian Airlines etc all fly to Addis Ababa.
Kenyan,Ethiopian Airlines could’ve taken HH at a fraction of the costs.That money could’ve been better spent on modern toilets or drugs for Lusaka slum areas.
Benito Mossolin was a leader,Hitler was a leader,Idi Amin dada was aleader ,Putin is a leader, so if look at these leaders they did what they wanted and achieved there goals in one way or the other.kkkkkkk pa zed kkkkkkk mmmmmm bwafya ni lesa fye.