Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
THE Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) on Tuesday convened its Strategic Planning Workshop, launching a critical process aimed at unlocking the full value and economic potential of the country’s aviation sector as the nation transitions from NDS1 to NDS2.
The workshop brought together CAAZ board chairperson Mrs Nonkosi Ncube, board members, director general Mr George Mashababe, senior management, worker representatives and Government officials.
Addressing participants, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Joy Makumbe, said the Ministry attaches great importance to the workshop as it provides a platform for CAAZ to align its vision with national goals while engaging stakeholders on the sector’s strategic direction.
“I am pleased that in conformity with the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act and in accordance with the Integrated Results-Based Management (IRBM) approach, CAAZ is truly compliant and consistent in coming up with its Corporate Strategic plans. This is indeed, a true pointer towards the seriousness with which CAAZ attaches to its work,” she said.
Eng Makumbe noted that the workshop draws from the Ministry’s strategic review held in Bulawayo in November 2024, where aviation targets under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) were outlined.
She said the Ministry is committed to creating a conducive environment for the aviation industry to thrive and serve as a catalyst for socio-economic transformation.
“You are, therefore, challenged to work as a team and to build synergies and relationships with your stakeholders and clients in order to realise our desire of positioning the aviation sector as a key economic enabler,” she added.
She added that aviation plays a central role in supporting Zimbabwe’s ambitions of becoming a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030, stressing the need to remain aligned to the key policy interventions under NDS2.
Eng Makumbe also highlighted achievements made by CAAZ in recent years, including the successful operationalisation of the Aviation Training Academy of Zimbabwe (ATAZ), installation of modern air traffic communication and navigation systems, and the institutionalisation of the Secondary Surveillance Radar system.
In her remarks, Mrs Ncube said the authority had made significant strides under NDS1, strengthening regulatory oversight, stabilising operations, enhancing safety culture and improving corporate governance—despite economic turbulence, technological shifts and global disruptions.
“Yet, despite the progress, we know there is still work ahead,” she said.
Mrs Ncube said the transition to NDS2 requires a bold shift marked by modernised aviation infrastructure, technology-driven oversight, data-led decision-making, strong governance discipline, enhanced safety and service quality, and development of world-class aviation skills.
