Zimbabwe: presidential plane borders on tragedy after bomb threat

In addition to the presidential flight carrying the president, a Kenyan airline flight from Nairobi encountered problems.

The plane carrying Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa was forced to suspend its landing and turn back to Harare following a bomb threat at Victoria Falls International Airport. Presidential spokesperson George Charamba confirmed the bomb threat and said it had placed Zimbabwe's security services on high alert.

On Friday, airport authorities in Zimbabwe were informed of an email sent by FastJet Airline signed by a John Doe, reporting a “credible bomb or gun threat targeting Zimbabwean airports”, declared Mr. Charamba in a press release. He also clarified that “As a precautionary measure, the country's security apparatus is now on high alert due to this message, the source and credibility of which are under investigation.”

Additionally, Mr Charamba stressed that although Zimbabwe is generally peaceful and its entry points are well secured, any alerts regarding possible terrorist attacks are taken very seriously. Due to the developments, Mr Mnangagwa, who was due to address a meeting at the Victoria Falls resort, had to suspend his trip.

“The nation is called upon to remain calm while ongoing investigations unfold, and the results will be made public by the relevant government authorities once completed”, added Mr. Charamba. In addition to the plane carrying President Mnangagwa, a Kenyan Airways flight from Nairobi was also disrupted.