Chronicle Editor
Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
THE National Handling Services (NHS) says it is well-prepared to handle both passenger and cargo flight traffic during the upcoming Sadc Summit to be hosted by Zimbabwe in August in Harare.
The country hosts the 44th Sadc Summit with President Mnangagwa taking over as chairperson. The high-level event will be hosted at the new Parliament Building in Mt Hampden, Harare.
In an interview at the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) expo, NHS board chairman, Advocate Godwin Nyengedza, said they were ready to receive all delegates that are coming to Zimbabwe.
“We are more than prepared and we have got enough facilities, we have got experienced staff and we have got enough hosting facilities for both cargo and passenger aircraft,” he said.
“We have been tried and tested, we are the same NHS that has been operating in the past few years even when we used to have more travellers coming into the country.
“So, yes, we are prepared and we are geared up, we have got all our staff trained and we have all the equipment that we have ordered, we are ready to join forces and join ranks with other organisations, as we host the delegates that are coming for the summit.”
During the summit, the country is going to host a high-level delegation from all the countries in the Sadc region.This will need well-organised services, which will be able to handle the delegates that will be arriving using different ports of entry in Zimbabwe.
NHS is wholly owned by the Government with a mission to facilitate travel and trade through excellent aviation ground handling and intermodal logistical services.
The company’s chief executive officer, Mr Godknows Marawanyika, said NHS has been capacitating itself in terms of the facilities required for handling such important visitors.
He said they are now able to handle any type of aircraft that lands in Zimbabwe.
“We are hoping to host all the VVIPs that will be coming into the country in August,” he said.
NHS is exhibiting at this year’s trade showcase and Mr Marawanyika said in terms of being innovative, which is in line with this year’s ZITF theme, the company has launched a new product this year called ‘Khami Lounge’ where they want passengers to feel the aircraft touch from the time they are in the lounge through to the aircraft so that they can keep memories of Zimbabwe wherever they go.
NHS handles passengers and cargo at all the airports and it is also responsible for the management of the Zimbabwe Dry Port at Walvis Bay in Namibia where it has a lot of handling capacity.
He said the bay is handling all vehicles that are coming from America, Europe and other countries and other products. Mr Marawanyika said plans were in the pipeline to establish a cold chain facility to handle weather-sensitive products like fish during the second quarter of the year. — @SikhulekelaniM1
Online Reporter