Broomstick-flying witches to be brought down in Swaziland

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Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150 metres will be subject to arrest and a hefty fine of R500 000, civil aviation authorities said, according to a report.

Witches’ broomsticks are considered similar to any heavier-than-air transportation device that is airborne, says The Star.

“A witch on a broomstick should not fly above the [150-metre] limit,” Civil Aviation Authority marketing and corporate affairs director Sabelo Dlamini said to the newspaper yesterday.

No penalties exist for witches flying below 150 metres.

The report said it was hard to say how serious he was, but witchcraft isn’t a joking matter in Swaziland, where the people believe in it.

The statute also forbids toy helicopters and children’s kites from ascending too high into the country’s airspace.

Dlamini was asked by the Swazi press to explain the country’s aviation laws following the arrest of a private detective, Hunter Shongwe, for operating a toy helicopter equipped with a video camera, of which he boasted using to gather surveillance information similar to the way a drone aircraft operates.

The detective was charged with operating an unregistered aircraft and for failing to appear before his chief to be questioned by traditional authorities about his toy drone, the first of its kind in Swaziland.

Swazi brooms are short bundles of sticks tied together and do not have handles. Swazi witches are known to use them to fling potions about homesteads – but not for transport.
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Better warn your SO.
 
Funny story. Can't believe things are still so medieval... and yet something modern like an aviation authority is imposing rules on how high witches can fly...

It's absurd on so many levels. I'm pretty sure 150m is plenty of clearance for witches to get about. Just how do they intend to enforce this? Do the Swaziland cops have flying brooms to chase them down, equipped with with little blue sirens and altimeter radar guns?
 
Well, I for one don't have a problem with this. Even if you are flying a one-seater broomstick, you still need to respect commercial airspace and keep to the rules. If they don't lay down the law, some witch is bound to be sucked into a jet engine at 1000 feet, possibly bringing down the plane. And then everyone is going to be: the Civil Aviation Authorities could have prevented this tragedy, but preferred to keep mum. Witches should understand that just because they have mastered magic does not place them above the law.
 
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