Watalii toka Afrika Kusini waiburuza ATCL mahakamani

Shirika la ndege la Tanzania (ATCL) huenda likajikuta makahamani muda si mrefu kwa mashitaka ya kutokuzingatia kanuni za usafirishaji na kusababisha usumbufu kwa abiria wake wa msimu.
Habari zinalonga kuwa, kundi moja la watalii wa kutoka nchini Afrika Kusini wamekamilisha taratibu za kimahakama za kudai fidia ya fedha yenye thamani ya dola za KiMarekani $99,853 toka ATCL kwa kuwavunjia safari mwezi jana walipotaka kusafiri kwenda Zanzibar hapo tarehe ya 13 ya mwezi wa Disemba.

Kundi hilo ni la watalii ishirini na tisa ambao wengi wao ni wanachama wa Rand Park Ridge Driving School na familia zao. Mmiliki wa shule hiyo ya udereva bwana Andrew Shaw anasema kuwa walifadhaishwa sana na tamko la kusitishwa kwa safari za ndege za ATCL na kulazimika kuvunja mipango yao. Anaongeza kwa kusema kuwa, safari yao walianza kuipanga tangu mwezi Machi na waliigharamia sana na walitaraji wawe Zanzibar tarehe 20 ya mwezi wa Disemba mwaka jana.

Most of the group members had been saving for months to pay for it, and one of them even took an extra job on Saturdays to pay for the airfare. On the Monday before we were due to leave, I received a call from our travel agent to tell us the ATCL planes were grounded

Gharama walizoingia katika kujiandaa ni pamoja na kumlipa wakala wao wa usafiri bwana Jacques Bezuidenhout (huyu sijui baba yake mdogo nanihii) fedha ya tiketi kwa ujumla dola za Marekani $16,775, vilevile waliilipa Manarani Beach Cottages in Zanzibar dola $10,822 kwa ajili ya hifadhi na malazi bila kusahau dola $7,231 kwa ajili ya kupiga mbizi katika maji angavu ya bahari ya Hindi huko Zanzibar.

Tatizo linalosababisha waiburuze ATCL mahakamani ni kutokana na kulazimika kulipa fedha zaidi ili kuweza kupata tiketi ya ndege nyingine, fedha ambazo zilikomba bakshishi yote ya pembeni ambayo kwa kawaida hutumika kama dharura wakati wa safari (na bado zisitoshe).

Kasheshe na hasira zaidi inaongezeka pale ambapo baada ya kujikung'uta kupata fedha za kujazilizia tiketi mpya, wakala wa safari aliwafahamisha kuwa ndege waliyotarajia kupata nafasi imejaa na hivyo watu watano tu kati ya ishirini na tisa ndio waliosafiri kwenda Zanzibar na hivyo kuwalazimu waliobaki, 24, kuahirisha safari na kuishia kupiga mbizi na kuambaa ambaa ufukweni mwa mji wa Durban.

Mmoja wa wanasafari hao, Margo Bowen anasema,

...this would have been me and my husband (Trevor)’s first trip outside South Africa. I had been packing for days and we could not wait for our dream holiday to arrive. We got ourselves geared up and were shattered when we heard that the planes were grounded.

Januari 16, 2009 wakili wao wasafiri hao, Alicia Kirchner wa Lombards Attorneys, alituma barua ya kudai malipo ya fedha zao kwa shirika la ndege la Tanzania mjini Dar es Salaam na kwa wakala wao wa safari, Bezuidenhout’s Travel Crossings company. Madai yao:

...compensation for the loss of money paid for the air tickets, the accommodation and the dives organized in Zanzibar amounting to Rand 349,218 (US$34,833) in total. The lawyers are also demanding additional expenses, such as the money spent on obtaining visas, along with general damages incurred by the group.

Ms. Kirchner amesema kuwa ATCL ilikiri kupokea barua hiyo ya madai na kwamba italipa gharama za tiketi, kauli ambayo ilithibitishwa na meneja wa ATCL nchini Afrika Kusini bwana Bonnie Mudahama alipohojiwa na Pretoria News.

Madai kwa bwana Bezuidenhout inaelekea yatagonga mwamba kwani anasema tatizo halikuwa kwake na aliwafahamisha njia mbadala lakini wao wakawa wamekawia na hivyo kuchelewa kupata nafasi ya safari katika ndege nyingine, hivyo yupo tayari kupambana mahakamani kuliko kuwalipa hata ndururu moja.