eBusiness Weekly
BH24 Reporter
HARARE – Government will prohibit use of land within the 9 kilometre radius of Zimbabwe’s second largest airport, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo, to enhance safety.
Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister, Joel Biggie Matiza through General Notice 953 of 2018 published in a Government Gazette lrecently, notified of the Government’s intention to issue an order prohibiting use of land and water in the aerodrome for the airport.
As recently as 2016, the Government of Zimbabwe had to issue an order for demolition of settlements that had illegally sprouted on the aerodrome or land reserved for the expansion of the Robert Mugabe International Airport and related purposes such as hotels.
Over 700 families who had been settled on the land by the infamous land barons had to be relocated to Retreat Farm by Government while the settlement, a hotchpotch of slam-like buildings and posh home structures erected by well to do individuals, was demolished.
However, the latest notice on plans to issue an order barring use of land around Joshua Mqabuko International Airport in Bulawayo was silent regarding the status of similar plans on Robert Mugabe International Airport, Zimbabwe’s biggest aircraft landing facility.
An aerodrome refers to any area of land, water (or frozen surface thereof) or other supporting surface used or designed, prepared, equipped or set apart for use either in whole or part for arrival, departure, movement or servicing of aircraft (including buildings, installations and equipment).
“For the safety at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport, no person shall erect any structure or building within a radius of 9 km from the centre of the runway for any purposes other than for aviation activities done by or for the (Civil Aviation) Authority (of Zimbabwe).
“Anyone who wishes to make representations in regard to the order may submit his or her representations, in writing, within 14 days from the publication of this notice to the Secretary for Transport and Infrastructural Development,” reads an excerpt from the gazette.
Annex 14 of Chicago Convention provides that the Civil Aviation Authority shall prevent the aerodromes from becoming unusable by the growth of obstacles around the aerodromes by establishing a series of obstacle limitation surfaces that define the limits to which objects may project into the airspace hence the order.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development Fortune Chasi said while he did not have direct information on the plan, construction, habitation or conducting commercial activity around aerodromes compromised safety issues.
“The area around airports needs to be free of commercial activity, construction or habitation so that in the event of an aviation misfortune we do not have many people getting injured,” he said.
The Minister of Transport may exercise authority only over lands that are included in an Airport Zoning Regulation made pursuant to the Act of Parliament. An Airport Zoning Regulation contains restrictive clauses that describe the activities and uses that are restricted or prohibited and contains a legal description of the lands to which it applies.
Restrictions and or prohibitions contained in a zoning regulation may range from limiting the height of structures to prohibiting specified land uses or to prohibiting facilities that may interfere with signals or communications to/from aircraft.
Civil aviation experts say that it is of utmost importance to be aware that the proximity of obstacles, for example, wind turbines, telecommunications towers, antennae, smoke stacks, etc.
