Two South African aircrew stranded in Equatorial Guinea will return home in a few days time, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
Spokeswoman Nomfanelo Kota said ”considerable inroads” had been made in negotiations with the Equatorial Guinea authorities about the release of Sechan Pillay and Ruwayda Kalbine, both employees of Global Aircraft Leasing (GAL).
”The two are coming home. We are not sure when. It will be in a few days time,” she said.
Refused exit from Equatorial Guinea last month, Pillay and Kalbine are being held as pawns in a business dispute between two aviation companies involved in a string of sub-contracts.
The pair have been staying at the home of a South African diplomat in Malabo, the capital of the west African country.
GAL chief executive Daniel Rosenzweig said his company was speaking to the two daily, and providing money for their expenses.
The Equatorial Guinea airline Getra — believed to be partly owned by the country’s finance minister Mereelino Owono Edu — is demanding US285,000 from Venatto Trading.
GAL entered into a contract with Venatto Trading — signed through an agreement with Air Quarius — to fly one of its aircraft.
Venatto was then contracted to fly goods for Getra between Malabo, Bata on the mainland, and Douala in neighbouring Cameroon.
GAL said it withdrew the aircraft after it realised Getra were breaking certain fundamental air safety rules.
These included non-adherence to flight and duty periods, the carrying of hazardous materials, not allowing the crew the necessary rest days, the absence of flight schedules, and the waiver of passenger insurance.
Getra also did not have a proper ticket office or check-in facility, did not supply the captain of the aircraft the correct baggage weights and did not have a proper passenger boarding procedure, nor issued passengers with boarding passes.
Kota did not have details of any deals reached, but said: ”Considerable inroads were made in the negotiations.”
Venatto Trading director Mike Commarmond said GAL left before the contract was completed, owing about 10 days of flying time which had already been paid for.
”We have agreed to give the client (Getra) a refund,” Commarmond said on Friday. – Sapa