Lt Col Lucky (Nhlanhla) Zuma, Officer
COMMANDING THE 80 AIR NAVIGATION SCHOOL
In 2013, he was part of the crew that flew the remains of the late President Nelson Mandela to Mthatha for his funeral. Lt Col Zuma took his current position in January 2022. “I manage the execution of all theory and flying training presented at 80 ANS, as well as human resources, the ANS budget, and aviation safety,” says Lt Col Zuma. In 2016 Lt Col Zuma graduated from UJ with a B Com Transport Economics, then in 2019 graduated in BSc Honours in Business Management. “My BCom gave me a vast information flow, highly relevant to my career. I discovered how much the syllabus is related to the real world and how it all comes together. All the sleepless nights paid off when I graduated, with the pride of accomplishment,” says Lt Col Zuma. Born and raised in Kwa-Mashu, Durban, Lt Col Zuma matriculated
in 1995 at Mkhephuli Senior Secondary School (Mpumalanga, Kwaggafontein). He says as a youngster he wanted to become an engineer, but his parents were unable to pay for university. In 2002, he found his calling in the South African Air Force, where he started as an aircraft radartrician. “There, I was taught discipline and learned to become a better person when I was trained to be an officer and an aviator. I always believe that I can be a better person than yesterday. Loving what you do always yields better results and keeps you content, and you become better at what you do,” he says. In September 2006 Lt Col Zuma got married to Lungile Nomvula (Dube) Zuma, whom he lost due the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2021. He is the proud father of Londiwe and Lethokuhle.
Lt Col Lucky Zuma is Officer Commanding of 80 Air Navigation School (ANS), responsible for navigator instructor training, ground school for pilots, and other aviation-related courses. He was the first black person to qualify as a Navigator Instructor at 80 ANS, and was the first black navigator instructor on C130 in 2011, and executed many missions around Africa and beyond, including in the DRC, Mozambique, Angola, Malawi, Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, and Cuba.
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