Zim pilots receive their money
Date: 4 July 2006
The following is a (very) rough extract from an Afrikaans article that appeared in Beeld:
Administrative problems regarding the salary payments to the Zimbabwean flying instructors at the Airforces' flying school at Langebaanweg have been sorted out.
The Airforce is so positive about the program to include more airforces from southern Africa in a mutual program, that instructors and pilots from Botswana will shortly be involved in exchanges.
The Zimbabweans, who have worked at AFB Langebaanweg since February, were earlier in a fix because of a problem with the payment of their salaries. It was partially as a result of the allocation of temporary force numbers, which differs from normal Airforce members numbers.
This resulted in the banks, who would transfer the money, not accepting the paycodes of the Airforce payment system. Additionally, the payments were made at the end of the month and not in the middle of the month, as with the rest of the Airforce's payments.
The instructors, whose ranks range from Major to colonel, were brought to flying school, in terms of an agreement between South Africa and Zimbabwe, for three years in order to help with the training of mainly black pupil pilots.
About 75% of the current pupil pilots are black. The agreement with Botswana is not yet finalised, but includes the exchange of local pilots and their families in Botswana in order to broaden their horizons.
According to the agreement with the Zimbabweans, they will enjoy the same benefits in South Africa as they had in Zimbabwe, including furnished accommodation and vehicles.
There was a problem with the purchase of the furniture, which resulted in the instructor's families still not being able to join them. According to the Department of Defence, the tender process for the purchase of the furniture is now complete and the furniture will be delivered shortly. The problem occurred as a result of switching over from the previous financial year to the current financial year.
According to the Airforce, the agreement with the instructors was that there would be a transition period of six months before all the benefits would be available.
