It was a tearful reunion at the Johannesburg International airport on Wednesday night as two South African air-crew members held captive in Equatorial Guinea for more than a month were reunited with their family and friends.
The two had been held in the country since November 17 as pawns in a dispute between aviation companies involved in a string of sub-contracts. Among them were the West African country’s national carrier, Guinea Ecuatorial de Transportes Aereos (Getra), which was making demands for compensation.
Their employer, Global Aviation Leasing (GAL), was also among the string of companies.
”It was a very traumatic experience being in a foreign country,” said Sechan Pillay. ”We are very happy to be back home with our families. We were in fear of our lives, as things were not what they seemed.”
Pillay and his colleague Ruwayda Kalbine (18), who was in tears, thanked South Africa’s Department of Foreign Affairs for their safe return.
Their flight had been delayed by 45 minutes. They arrived at the airport at about 9.15pm.
Their families welcomed them and spent almost an hour with them before they came through to where a media contingent had been waiting.
Kaldine’s brother Haroun (17) said he had trouble sleeping on Tuesday night due to the excitement of seeing his sister again.
He said he and his sister are the best of friends.
Kaldine’s close friend, Clewellyn O’Shea, said having her home for Christmas is ”a beautiful present”.
He said the whole experience has opened his eyes to the world and the politics between countries.
Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Nomfanelo Kota asked the media to be brief, saying it had been a traumatic experience for all concerned and that Pillay and Kaldine would like to get home.
The department said the decision to release the two followed a ”cordial” meeting between South African and Equatorial Guinean foreign-affairs officials in Pretoria.
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma telephoned from Tanzania to say she was ”pleased that Ruwayda Kalbine and Seshan Pillay had arrived safely in South Africa and in time to spend the festive season with their families”, according to the department.
Last week, the passports of the two air-crew members were seized and they were escorted off an Air Gabon flight from Malabo to Johannesburg after being placed on board by South African ambassadorial staff.
It was the second time they had been refused exit from Equatorial Guinea at Malabo airport.
The two were held amid demands for compensation from their employer, GAL, by Getra.
It is said to be claiming $150 000 (R958 500) for a week’s flying hours lost when GAL — which sub-contracted to Getra contractor Venatto Trading through a sub-contract with Air Quarius — withdrew an aircraft from service on realising Getra was breaking air-safety rules.
Equatorial Guinea’s Finance Minister, Mereelino Owono Edu, is reportedly a shareholder in Getra. — Sapa