Nineteen South African passport holders deported from the Democratic Republic of Congo for their alleged involvement in a coup plot arrived home on Sunday night.
Their flight from Kinshasa landed at Johannesburg International airport just after 6.20pm.
The men emerged into the international arrivals hall to an emotional welcome from waiting family members.
”I’m glad to be here with my family, it feels like a champion to be home [sic],” said Chris Sauer (68).
Asked if he would demand apologies for the arrest, Sauer said, ”No, I think anybody who has been held 10 days in holding cells will be angry … but it’s past now, it’s gone.”
”This was the last time, I’ll never go there [to the DRC],” he said.
”The past week was long. I was just worried, I was stressed,” said Antonio Viera, who had just welcomed his father Jo-Jo, also from Pretoria.
Herman Thyssen, from Pretoria, said he would not return to the DRC while President Joseph Kabila was in power.
”Under the current regime I will not go back there. But if there is a change in government, I might consider going back,” a tearful Thyssen said.
Omega Group CEO Alex de Witt said 15 of his employees were among the group of 19.
He said they were security systems specialists and had been involved on a state contract upgrading the DRC’s ports to comply with international harbour security standards.
”We are delighted that our staff members have been released, and we are grateful to the DRC authorities and the South African Foreign Affairs staff who assisted in achieving their release,” De Witt said.
”I would like especially to thank our Ambassador Sisa Ngombane in Kinshasa, and DRC’s Ambassador Bene M’pako in Pretoria, for their support and commitment in resolving this misunderstanding,” he said.
The DRC government had alleged the men were planning a coup with the help of three Americans, who were also released on Sunday, according to an Associated Press report.
The Americans formed part of the election team of Dr Oscar Kashal, one of the 32 presidential candidates in the country’s elections on July 30. Ten Nigerians were also arrested.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Stefan Ferreira, the company’s manager — who was also arrested — said: ”We are very relieved to be glad to be back in South Africa.”
”It was a total misunderstanding, we were held and released without being charged,” he said.
Ferreira said the group was barely awake when the authorities pounced on them at 5am on May 19, searched their places and escorted them to the custody
De Witt said the company was still carrying on with operations in the DRC and members were recruited on daily basis.
”We have contracts in place, we’d like to continue with our contracts and support the DRC government,” De Witt said.
He said he would be flying to the country to resolve the issue and ensure that ”any outstanding” matters are dealt with.
”No charges have been laid, nothing has been laid for us on why they have been arrested,” he said. – Sapa