Mthatha Airport passengers stranded as staff down tools

The ongoing failure by the provincial government to pay emergency services workers’ weekend overtime led to a shutdown of Mthatha Airport at the weekend. This left 140 passengers stranded, as the airport was forced to cancel all flights.

Four Airlink flights to the airport were cancelled after a notice was issued to the airline on Friday evening.

The two Saturday and two Sunday flights to OR Tambo International Airport, on Airlink's 35-seater planes, also had to be cancelled, leaving passengers stranded.

Airlink CEO Roger Foster said some of their very upset customers were travelling to attend a very high-profile funeral.

He said the airline only found out about the airport closure at about 5.30pm on Friday.

Provincial transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose said passengers were bused to East London Airport.

Binqose said: “It was a tough call to make but one that had to be taken in the interest of safety of the travellers, the airport itself and everyone involved in the running of the airport.

“Constant engagements with the unions representing the workers are ongoing,” he said.

He denied claims that the emergency services workers’ weekend overtime had not been paid for seven months.

“We are not at liberty to divulge how much is owed.

“There are certain verification processes that need to be followed and other internal approvals that need to be done before a payment is made,” he said.

“Sometimes these may affect the time of payment a bit.

“The money owed is at the final stages of those processes and the workers will certainly get what is due to them.”

He gave an assurance that the airport would be back in operation this weekend.