Authorities in Equatorial Guinea plucked two South African air-crew members stranded in that country from the plane that was to return them to Johannesburg on Tuesday afternoon, their employer said.
South African ambassadorial staff escorted Sechan Pillay and Ruwayda Kalbine on board an Air Gabon flight in Malabo at 12.30pm, Global Aviation Leasing’s (GAL) chief executive, Daniel Rosenzweig, in a statement.
”They were, however, removed from the aircraft and their passports taken away by Equatorial Guinea officials.”
The two have been detained in the West African country’s capital, Malabo, since November 10 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.
Rosenzweig said Equatorial Guinea’s airline Getra — believed to be partly owned by the country’s Finance Minister, Mereelino Owono Edu — kept the crew back as part of its negotiation strategy against Venatto Trading — this to ensure compliance with certain outstanding obligations.
Getra is demanding about R1,8-million ($285 000) 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 was 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 with the correct baggage weights and did not have a proper passenger boarding procedure. It also did not issue passengers with boarding passes.
Venatto Trading director Mike Commarmond said GAL left before the contract was completed, owing about 10 days of flying time that had already been paid for.
”We have agreed to give the client [Getra] a refund,” Commarmond said on Friday.
Rosenzweig praised the South African Department of Foreign Affairs for its intervention with Guinea’s government, and said the department has been ”most helpful” in its efforts to have the two returned to South Africa.
Departmental spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said on Tuesday evening there was no certainty yet on when or if Pillay and Kalbine would return.
”We’re doing everything in our power to bring them back,” Mamoepa said.
He said the department is in constant touch with the families of the two to inform them of developments.
Last week, the Director General of Foreign Affairs, Ayanda Ntsaluba, took the ”extraordinary step” of inviting Equatorial Guinea’s ambassador to South Africa, Juan Nchuchuma, for talks at the Union Buildings.
Nchuchuma left for Guinea with an ”urgent message” to authorities in Malabo, aimed at securing the release of the two. — Sapa