Vusi Mavimbela, South Africa’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, confirmed on Tuesday in Harare that Zimbabwean civil aviation authorities found the body of a suspected stowaway on a US registered cargo plane carrying cash for the South African Reserve Bank.
Mavimbela said the MD11 cargo plane, owned by Florida-based Western Global Airlines, had stopped to refuel at Harare’s domestic airport on Sunday when the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe discovered the body and impounded the plane.
Mavimbela said six crew and a few officials from the South African central bank were on board.
He said: “Unfortunately there was a stowaway that was found on the plane and (Zimbabwe) authorities are trying to get to the bottom of the issue.
“Where, when and how did the person get in there, because the crew and the Reserve Bank authorities who were there accompanying the cargo were not aware.”
Meanwhile, police said investigations were under way but declined to provide details.
The plane owner, Western Global Airlines, said it was not immediately clear what had happened to the plane’s crew which includes two Americans, one South African and a Pakistani.
It disclosed that the plane was leased to Network Airlines of Britain and the cargo belonged to South Africa’s central bank.
The company said the body was presumed to be a stowaway who may have entered the airplane during a previous stop.
Pradeep Maharaj, Group Executive at the bank, said the organisation was working with Zimbabwean officials to have the plane and cargo release.
Reuters/NAN.
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