South Africa to send possible MH370 debris to Australia

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

Debris discovered on a Mozambique beach is to be sent from South Africa to Australia to determine if it came from a Malaysian Airlines plane missing for two years.

South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) confirmed to Anadolu Agency on Saturday that the debris -- discovered by a South African teenager -- was on its way.

"SACAA has arranged for the collection of that part [from the teenager], which will then be sent to Australia as this is the country appointed by Malaysia to identify any parts found," Kabelo Ledwaba said via text message.

Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 had 239 people on board when it disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 2014.

On July 29 last year, a piece of aircraft debris -- later determined to be a MH370 flaperon -- was found washed ashore on the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, while on March 8 this year the Malaysian government said it has asked a French jury to allow its investigation team to retrieve more presumed aircraft debris found on the island.

Last week, Liam Lotter told South African media that he found the meter-long metal piece in December while strolling on a beach in Southern Mozambique during a family holiday.

While Lotter was adamant that the piece was from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, he said his parents had dismissed his claims saying it was probably wreckage from a boat.

Undeterred, the 18-year-old insisted on bringing it home to Pietermaritzburg in South Africa at the end of the vacation.

One week later, U.S. blogger and self professed "MH370 investigator" Blaine Gibson also discovered a piece of the suspected plane in Mozambique, which prompted Lotter’s parents to contact Australian and South African authorities.