MBOMBELA – South African Revenue Service’s (Sars) Customs and Excise landed an unexpected blow to the piloting community of Mozambique. Pilots have reportedly become unwilling to fly to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) ever since one of their own recently had his aircraft confiscated.
Customs documents indicate that Mr Andrew Wilson’s aircraft was confiscated by SARS customs officials upon his arrival on May 19, in terms of Section 88 (1)(c) of the Customs and Excise Act, No 91 of 1964.
Wilson says he was shocked. A resident of Mozambique, his Piper PA-31 Navajo is Mozambican-registered. He was to service the aircraft at Nelspruit Airfield and carried no goods or passengers. He has done this many times before.
But last month when he indicated that the plane might be required to be in the country for seven days or more for service, the customs and excise team at KMIA confiscated the aircraft.
According to the documents issued the “goods” may only be released once an SAD 500 form has been submitted.
“What goods?” Wilson wondered. He says this document has never been a requirement to temporarily import a plane.
As signatories to the Chicago Section of the Warsaw Convention, aircraft from Mozambique were allowed to forgo the importation documents in South Africa.
The customs official allowed the aircraft to be stored at the intended mechanics’ place of business, but he was not allowed to work on it, pending its release. Wilson had to make use of a freight-clearing agent to complete the required documentation, but there is not one at KMIA. The nearest one is at Lebombo Border Post.
Apart from these expenses, he also stayed in Mbombela a week longer than planned while trying to resolve the issue. His Piper was finally released to him on May 25.
His friends in Mozambique heard about what had happened and opted not to risk flying to South Africa to attend the recent Lowveld Air Show.
“They drove instead,” Wilson says. “That is a loss of landing fees and fuel sales for South Africa, which is just the tip of the iceberg.
“It is a beautiful place, but nobody will come here any more. Think how much business the mechanics will lose if all the Mozambican pilots take their planes to be serviced elsewhere.”
Moreover, the many South African aircraft operating in the neighbouring country are not required to undergo any customs processes.
“Their clearance from Mozambique’s Civil Aviation suffices.”
Wilson says he has been informed that a notice to pilots of foreign-registered aircraft will henceforth be communicated regarding the new requirement.
The Civil Aviation Authority referred the newspaper to the Department of Home Affairs. At the time of going to print neither the department nor SARS had responded to questions.
