UPDATE ON SOUTH AFRICAN CITIZENS STRANDED ABROAD
Following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Declaration by President Cyril Ramaphosa of a State of Disaster, the South African government has so far repatriated more than 3000 South Africans stranded abroad due to the coronavirus lockdowns and the list is “slowly whittling down”.
The Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Naledi Pandor said, that as the department, in terms of international law, DIRCO has the responsibility to provide assistance to South Africans who are in distress outside our borders. We have not neglected the individuals who have approached us, and said, ‘Please help’,” said the Minister.
| Date | arrivals |
|---|---|
| 8 April 2020 | 66 South Africans were repatriated from Brazil on a South African Airways (SAA) flight.
67 South Africans were repatriated from Frankfurt, Germany. They included 39 from Germany, 14 from Portugal, 10 from Ireland, three from Nepal and one from Italy. |
| 10 April 2020 | 4 South Africans arrived from Afghanistan with a private charter.
49 South Africans landed in Cape Town from Namibia with a private charter. |
| 11 April 2020 | 41 South Africans left the Maldives with a private charter. |
| 12 April 2020 | SAA flight from Brussels to Johannesburg, with a stop-over in Lagos, repatriated 119 South Africans.
SAA flight from London to Cape Town repatriated 201 South Africans. |
| 13 April 2020 | 62 South African arrived from Ghana. |
| 15 April 2020 | 305 South African workers arrived from United States of America. |
| 16 April 2020 | 13 South Africans arrived from Addis Ababa. |
| 17 April 2020 | 84 South Africans arrived from Angola. |
| 18 April 2020 | 80 South Africans arrived from Rome on an SAA flight. |
| 19 April 2020 | 36 South Africans arrived from Angola.
206 South Africans arrived from Frankfurt on an SAA flight. 29 South Africans Arrived from Cameroon via Angola. |
| 21 April 2020 | 93 South Africans arrived from Saudi Arabia.
83 South Africans arrived from Pakistan. |
| 23 April 2020 | 25 South Africans arrived from Egypt on an SAA flight.
60 South Africans arrived from Saudi Arabia. 11 South Africans arrived from the DRC. |
| 24 April 2020 | 25 South Africans arrived from Zambia. |
| 25 April 2020 | 160 South Africans arrived from Frankfurt on an SAA flight.
165 South Africans arrived from Dubai. 11 South Africans arrived from Guinea. 23 South Africans arrived from Seychelles. |
| 28 April 2020 | 185 South Africans arrived from Australia. |
| 29 April 2020 | 26 South Africans arrived from Tanzania.
13 South Africans arrived from Egypt. 51 South Africans arrived from the DRC. |
| 30 April 2020 | 23 South Africans arrived form Namibia. |
| 1 May 2020 | 19 South Africans Arrived from Mali.
26 South Africans arrived from Zimbabwe. 256 South Africans arrived from Ethiopia. 3 South Africans arrived from Madagascar. |
| 2 May 2020 | 19 South Africans arrived from Mali. |
| 3 May 2020 | 275 South Africans arrived from Washington, USA on an SAA flight. |
| 8 May 2020 | More than 130 South Africans arrived from Jakarta, Indonesia.
More than 230 South Africans arrived from Bangkok. |
| 9 May 2020 | 275 South Africans arrived from Washington, USA. |
Accordingly, they were all subject to screening prior to boarding any flight during the current COVID-19 restrictions. Those found to be symptomatic were not be allowed to travel and will be subjected to the host country’s health requirements. On arrival, the Port Health screens the flight before disembarking and once the Immigration has cleared the flight, passengers are escorted to an identified facility for 14-day quarantine period. These measures are in line with the World Health Organisation’s guideline.
As the Minister said “We are dealing with a situation that none of us ever expected and in that context, we must strive to do the best that we can. We are doing all that we can to repatriate citizens stranded abroad.”
