Citizens abroad praise repatriation efforts
Citizens return home from African countries
SEVERAL South Africans working in Africa, who returned home over the long Easter weekend, have praised the repatriation efforts, saying their return was efficiently executed and well planned.
Oil and gas project manager Calvin Jacobs, who is from Durban but was working in Ghana for a year, said he was one of 60 South Africans who flew back on Monday.
Jacobs said the expats group were stressed, but kept calm because of the great service in Ghana and on arrival in SA.
He praised the Ghana Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, the Airports Company of SA, Air Traffic Control, the Department of Health and the SAPS.
“These guys really did well. “Efficient, professional and most importantly caring and compassionate,” said Jacobs.
He said there were no short cuts and all the protocols were in place.
“We are safe, the conditions are good, they gave us three meals a day, there’s no contact and we can’t leave the rooms,” he said.
The only concern expressed by Jacobs was about the logistics of travelling to Durban from Joburg once his two-week quarantine is completed on April 27.
“I’m very happy to be back in South Africa, very grateful…
“I want to finish the quarantine and get back to the family,” he said.
Jacobs said there was a lot of work that could be done remotely, and he was using his time to continue working for his company in Ghana.
“What I look forward to the most is being home with the family,” he said.
South African ambassador to Ghana, Lulama Xingwana, who escorted the group to Kotoka International Airport (KIA), said that in consultation with the South African government and the government of Ghana the citizens were granted permission to return to South Africa.
“Most of the people going home have been here working on projects for their companies.
“Some have been attending to meetings for their companies and they’ve finished those tasks.
“Very few of them were here on holidays visiting friends and families.
“They were to return early in April but because of the lockdown they were not able to fly, although some had return tickets,” she said.
Nicole and Justin Janse van Vuuren, a young Durban couple who moved to the Maldives to pursue a career in teaching surfing, said their plans were cut short when they were informed that they had to return home.
“We were supposed to start work for the company in April.
“We were there for a month doing training and were told the resorts were closing down and we had to leave the Maldives,” said Nicole.
She said although they would have preferred to stay, they were happy to be back.
“It was bitter-sweet because we were in a little bubble in the Maldives which is beautiful and we’re just coming back to exposing ourselves to a lot more which is quite scary,” she said.
She said they were part of a group of about 50 people who chartered a flight at a combined cost of $107 000 (R1 952 931).
“The group of South Africans that flew home were such a great group of people.
“They were very supportive and made it all happen in terms of planning and looking out for everyone,” said Nicole.
The 32-year-old said when they arrived on April 11 everything had been organised and everyone had been nice and very helpful.
“Big ups to the guys helping out here, they’ve done a really good job,” said Nicole.