Bafana fan hits a snag in Ethiopia
Visa issues red-card Msila’s Afcon safari
Bloemfontein Celtic supporter Botha Msila’s mission to reach Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) has been brought to a stop in Ethiopia after he was refused entry to the country without visa.
Msila and his Zimbabwean companion Alvin Zhakata were turned away at the Kenyan border post into Ethiopia yesterday.
Botha has been on a hitchhiking journey to Cairo, Egypt, since June 6.
He told Sowetan yesterday that when they reached the Kenyan border into Ethiopia in the morning, they were denied entry because they do not have visas.
“We have been stuck here for more than five hours. When we got here we were told that we needed visas,” Msila said.
He said a visa would cost them $50 each, which amounts to R742.
Msila said money was not an issue as friends and business people had offered donations.
However, he said they were worried that they might not be able to apply for transit visas in Sudan and Egypt as well.
“We are waiting to hear if Sudan and Egypt will allow us to apply for visas at the border. If we get the information that they will not allow us to follow that process then we might have to cut our trip short. I am very worried,” Botha said.
He said even if the trip was cut short, covering half of the 11,000km distance meant a lot to him. “I have done my part and shown my passion for football,” he said.
Prior to arriving at the Ethiopian border, Msila and Zhakata had travelled through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya.
Msila said they hoped SA and Zimbabwean authorities could assist them to carry on with their trip unhindered.
International Relations and Cooperation department spokesperson Nelson Kgwete said Msila should contact SA embassies in Sudan and Egypt.
He said some countries allow certain nationalities the opportunity to apply for visas upon arrival.
“I know that in Ethiopia for instance, South Africans can apply for visas upon arrival,” Kgwete said.
However, he said the department cannot intervene by arranging visa exemptions.
mahopoz@sowetan.co.za