Zimbabwe invites bids for struggling national airline

Zimbabwe has invited bids for the state-owned airline as President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government pushes ahead with a drive to privatize and end state funding to loss-making firms, Air Zimbabwe’s administrator said on Monday. Air Zimbabwe, which owes foreign and domestic creditors more than $300m, was in October placed into administration to try and revive its fortunes. The troubled airline is among dozens of state-owned firms, known locally as parastatals, that are set to be partially or fully privatized in the next 9 months as the government seeks to cut its fiscal deficit seen at 11% of GDP this year. Air Zimbabwe administrator Reggie Saruchera said in a notice published in newspapers Monday that potential investors should make their bids before Nov. 23 after paying a non-refundable deposit of $20,000.<br/>