Mugabe buys 6 Chinese jets while country teeters on the brink

By Lance Guma

23 August 2006

The ‘cash strapped’ regime of Robert Mugabe has apparently coughed up US$120 million for six Chinese jets. This is despite a collapsed economy now famous for 1200 percent inflation and devastating shortages of essential commodities like fuel and maize. Parliament was told by the Defence Secretary Trust Maphosa that the country ‘ will be receiving six aircraft from China sometime this year.’ Six other planes were supplied in 2005. Maphosa admitted that the government was in arrears with three Chinese firms who supplied the jets and other military hardware in the deal but disclosed that the Reserve Bank had contingency plans to settle the debts.

Defence correspondent for Jane’s Defence Weekly, Helmoed Romer

Heitman says one K8 trainer aircraft can cost up to as much as US$20 million each depending on the package. It brings the total cost of the deal to about US$ 240 million. Heitman says the ageing British Hawk jets in the Zimbabwean air force, made worse by operations in the DRC , have forced Mugabe to turn to the short-gap measure of using the K-8’s.

Although the K-8 trainer is mainly for training purposes it can be converted into a fighter aircraft, only that it would not be as fast as the other modern aircraft being produced elsewhere.

In 2005 it’s reported that the Chinese supplied the first instalment of six jets in addition to a radar system for Mugabe's personal residence plus other military hardware costing well over US$250 million. Mugabe’s poor human rights record has led to western countries shying away from supplying his regime with spare parts for previously purchased military hardware leaving him to ‘look east’ for supplies. A withdrawal of funding by international lenders has also crippled his government’s capacity to buy any spare parts that are available.