More than 5,000 South Africans repatriated
The government had so far repatriated more than 5,000 SA citizens during the Covid-19 national lockdown, international relations and co-operation minister Naledi Pandor said on Thursday.
Altogether 5,239 South Africans came home by air with hundreds more returning by crossing land borders, she said. This meant that more South Africans had been repatriated than the initial 3,637 who requested to return home.
Many South Africans who had travelled overseas before the 21-day national lockdown was announced in March were not able to return home as all ports of entry into the country were closed.
The government then stepped in to help citizens in distress, including those stranded at airports; students who were asked to evacuate their places of residence as many countries were implementing their own lockdowns; elderly people; and those in need of medical attention.
Pandor said that the government had begun to receive requests from other categories of South Africans who had either lost their jobs due to companies and schools being affected by the coronavirus lockdowns or had simply run out of money to continue to sustain themselves abroad.
The minister said the process of repatriation was not easy, given the various restrictions implemented by countries across the world, and it involved a lot of negotiation with many stakeholders.
In coming days and weeks, the government would continue with the process, and include repatriation from the US, Russia, Vietnam, India, Qatar, and the UK, Pandor said
The minister said that her department was aware of many other South Africans who remain stranded abroad, and continued to appeal for their patience as the department explored and negotiated ways of bringing them home.
Pandor said the government had spent less than R10m on the repatriation process. This was due to the donation of jet fuel, which significantly reduced any cost the government might have had to bear.
“We have had very good support from the private sector with the provision of jet fuel, particularly by Sasol ... which has allowed us to make use of SAA,” Pandor said. She said that citizens repatriated were in the main able to pay for themselves so the government did not need to spend large amounts.