What was supposed to be a moment of national pride quickly turned into a near-tragedy after a helicopter that had been scheduled to transport President Emmerson Mnangagwa crashed shortly after take-off at Masvingo Airport. The chopper had been designated to ferry the president back to Harare after the launch of Munhumutapa Day at the Great Zimbabwe Monuments. Thankfully, President Mnangagwa was not on board at the time of the accident. Only three crew members were in the aircraft, and while one was injured, no lives were lost.
Ironically, the crash occurred on President Mnangagwa’s birthday. The ZANU PF leader turned 82 today, having been born in Zvishavane on 15 September 1942. In celebration of his life and legacy, he officiated at the launch of Munhumutapa Day, a new national holiday that will now be observed annually in his honor. The event took place at the iconic Great Zimbabwe Monuments, roughly 30 kilometers from Masvingo town, while the crash site at Masvingo Airport lies just three kilometers away. The airport typically handles small aircraft and military flights.
Initial reports created confusion across the country as some media outlets incorrectly claimed that the Vice Presidents were on board the ill-fated helicopter. However, this was false. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga did not even attend the Munhumutapa Day celebrations, and although Vice President Kembo Mohadi was present at the event, he was not in the aircraft that crashed.
A source close to the day’s operations told The NewsHawks that two helicopters had been deployed. The one that crashed was the designated presidential helicopter. After take-off, it developed a sudden technical fault and went down with significant force. The insider described a “big impact” when the aircraft hit the ground. While one of the three crew members suffered injuries, the others were unharmed, and all survived the ordeal.
Earlier in the day, the president had visited Bikita, believed by some to be the original home of the Mnangagwa family before they moved to Mapanzure in Zvishavane. That’s where his father, Mafidi Mnangagwa, is buried. The president’s personal connection to Bikita adds yet another layer to the symbolic nature of today’s events.
This crash is not an isolated incident. Back in August 2021, another helicopter that President Mnangagwa was using had to make an emergency landing roughly 60 kilometers outside Harare. It had been flying from his Sherwood-based Precabe Farm in Kwekwe and had to land unexpectedly on a property owned by a Ministry of Finance official due to a technical malfunction. That incident triggered significant changes in the security protocols around the president’s air travel. At the time, journalists who exposed the emergency landing were hounded by state agents. The main reporter was forced to flee his home, and confidential sources within the government were punished.
So far, the aftermath of today’s crash appears less intense. No official statement has been issued by the president’s communications team. Journalists have reached out for comment but received no responses. The lack of transparency once again highlights the state’s tight control over information related to presidential security.
While the launch of Munhumutapa Day was intended to mark a triumphant celebration of Emmerson Mnangagwa’s legacy, the crash has cast a dark shadow over the proceedings. It has also exposed the fragility of the systems in place and the continuing risks even the highest office in the land faces. For a regime that thrives on control, today’s events were a sobering reminder that even tightly managed narratives can be shaken by an unexpected fall from the sky.
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