Security lapse as Khama's plane proves too big for airstrip

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Wednesday September 29, 2010 00:00

It would seem President Ian Khama's security boys did a shoddy job yesterday after his plane failed to land at a small airstrip at Gakhibana, about 80km from Bokspits.

The plane could not land because it was too big for the airstrip, forcing the presidential party to return to Gaborone without achieving its mission of opening the new 257km Trans-Kalahari highway.

Khama's crew was scheduled to disembark at the Gakhibana airstrip before travelling 80km to Bokspits for his much-anticipated official opening of the economically important road for the Kgalagadi District.  However the presidential party had to return to Gaborone without setting foot in Bokspits where proceedings went on without them. It appeared that a combination of a security lapse and poor planning led to the President failing to land at the airport.  A public servant, who was at the Gakhibana airstrip to ferry the presidential entourage to the Bokspits Kgotla, said Khama's aeroplane was big and would not have fitted on the small airstrip. However government spokesman, Jeff Ramsay told Mmegi late yesterday that the President's plane could not land because the airstrip's runway was not done properly.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson, Punah Serati said the President's crew took the route for emergency landing  and so the airstrip does not fall under her organisation, hence the matter does not concern the authority.

She said the airstrip is under the department of roads, which constructed it. She said in future the CAA will look into how much they can assist in future incidents like this one.

The head of the Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS), Isaac Kgosi abruptly dropped the phone yesterday when asked how a big presidential plane was scheduled to land at a small airstrip.

Earlier, he told Mmegi that there was something that his security people detected which caused them to alert the presidential party not to attempt landing.

However Kgosi said he was not at liberty to discuss what was detected. He declined to say whether the airstrip was in good condition and referred the query to the ministry responsible for aviation, claiming he is not in charge of airports.  He hung up when he was asked whether his security people satisfied themselves with the condition of the airstrip.

Meanwhile the Minister of Transport and Communications, Frank Ramsden told Mmegi that he was not aware of the circumstances that led to the President's airplane failing to land.

'Maybe it was something to do with emergency landing, or the weather. I don't know the story, because I was at the Kgotla in Bokspits at the time,' added Ramsden.

The District Commissioner for Kgalagadi, Magdeline Kganauwe was surprised that such a big airplane tried to land on a very small airstrip.

She said she was not informed of the circumstances that led to the president failing to land. She stated that the Gakhibana airstrip is ideal for choppers and small aircraft, while bigger planes usually use the Tsabong airstrip, situated 130km from Bokspits.  Early yesterday, the government issued a statement saying due to technical difficulties with the runway, Khama's plane was unable to land in the vicinity of Gakhibana.

'As such His Excellency was not able to take part in the official opening as was planned,' the statement said. The statement added that Khama's speech was read on his behalf at the function. 'At no time was His Excellency or his party in serious danger, as the problem was on the ground.

His Excellency has returned to Gaborone where he has resumed his normal schedule,' the statement said.