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HARARE City Council last week resolved to forcibly remove controversial “inventor” Daniel Chingoma’s “helicopters” following concerns that he had set up illegal “aerodromes”.
A full council meeting on Thursday endorsed the decision to remove Chingoma’s helicopters from an area near the City Sports Centre and Snake Park, along the Bulawayo-Harare highway.
The part-time musician dumped the “helicopters” in March last year after he was evicted from Harare Showgrounds for failing to pay rentals.
Council’s environment management committee had recommended that the director of Urban Planning Services, Psychology Chiwanga, be given the task to remove the dysfunctional inventions.
“The committee expressed concern regarding an illegal aerodrome for Chingoma’s helicopters,” read the committee’s minutes for a meeting held recently.
“Some had been dumped in the open space near the City Sports Centre whilst another was on display along Bulawayo Road near the Snake Park.”
Chingoma first came into the spotlight in 2003 when he launched his home-made “helicopter”, named the Zimcopter.
He was not available for comment on the latest developments.
Zimbabweans received the self-styled engineer’s inventions with mixed feelings, with some saying he could help improve the country’s aviation industry.
Others said he was out to fleece people of their hard-earned cash as he charged a fee to those viewing his “invention”.
The musician who claims to be a natural engineer never studied aviation, engineering or anything remotely linked to helicopters.
Condemned as not flight-worthy, his inventions are made from scrap metal and car engines among other things.
But Chingoma’s creations may remain at their current locations a little longer, as the city has no means of removing them.
The minutes say a shortage of transport and manpower slowed down enforcement programmes, leading to failure to take action against the sprouting illegal structures in the greater Harare area.
BY JENNIFER DUBE
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