Online Reporter
The Herald, 6 July 1983
THE fact that there are far more white than black aircraft pilots was the cause of stern criticism yesterday by the President of the Senate, Cde Nolan Makombe.
Speaking at the Zimbabwe Sun Air Rally dinner in Victoria Falls, he said: “I would like to express my disappointment at the pronounced racial balance among the participants. In the past two years only one African took part in the air rally and this year only three.”
He understood that this was the first year that the air rally organising committee had launched a drive to attract black pilots, but the response had been negative.
“Let me take this opportunity to encourage more Africans to take part in future air rallies. “This is one way we can improve standards and let us make use of the opportunity.”
The lack of black participation was an obvious reflection of the racial composition of pilots in the country because, under the colonial regimes, blacks were excluded from civil aviation.
The number of private pilots with a minimum of 40 hours flying time was 961, of whom only three were blacks. Out of a total of 1249 pilots there were only 14 blacks he said.
“This racial imbalance is unacceptable and needs speedy correction. While I urge the air rally organising committee to increase its efforts in encouraging more black pilots to come forward in future, I feel more effort has to be directed at training black pilots at the grassroots level.”
Given the important role pilots played, it was vital they attained and maintained high standards “and this rally goes a long way in meeting this objective”.
He was grateful to those who had come from other countries.
Lessons for today:
- Historical inequalities do not disappear automatically. The article highlights how colonial-era exclusion left very few black pilots in Zimbabwe after independence. This shows that when legal barriers are removed, the effects of past discrimination can persist for many years.
- Cde Makombe argued that the solution was not simply encouraging participation in air rallies but training more black pilots “at the grassroots level.” This demonstrates that sustainable change requires investment in skills development, scholarships, mentorship, and access to training.
- Since independence, government training programmes, the Air Force of Zimbabwe, Air Zimbabwe, and private flight schools have produced scores of black commercial pilots including female pilots, to the point where aviation is no longer the overwhelmingly white profession it was in the early 1980s.
- Reliable media reports indicate that around 2015-2016, Air Zimbabwe had six female pilots, including Captains Chipo Matimba and Elizabeth Simbi Petros.
