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Mission impossible? SAA plane remains grounded following initial premature Polish clearance for take-off

Mission impossible? SAA plane remains grounded following initial premature Polish clearance for take-off
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African Heads of State participating in the African Leaders Peace Mission. (Photo: GCIS)
Queenin Masuabi
By Queenin Masuabi
16 Jun 2023
Facebook
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Just when the South African government thought they had clearance to ensure that a plane carrying President Cyril Ramaphosa’s security detail, and a group of journalists, will be able to leave Poland, after nearly 24 hours on an airport tarmac, a new decision was taken to continue grounding the plane.

Just after 11am on Friday 16 June, an announcement was made that SAA flight ZS-SFX carrying President Cyril Ramaphosa’s security detail and journalists, could fly to Rzeszow, south of Poland. 

But within two hours the crew was informed that the plane will remain grounded but passengers and crew would be allowed to disembark. This journalist, who is part of the passenger group, has learnt that while most passengers will be booked into a hotel, some security personnel will stay in the aircraft which is loaded with weapons and other security equipment.

Twenty-four hours after touching down in Warsaw, and after Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, as well as Department of International Relations director general Zane Dangor, appeared to have obtained permits to ensure that the flight could leave.

It is unclear now what the reason for the latest decision to keep the plane on the tarmac is.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African Heads of State participating in the African Leaders Peace Mission, hold a consultation while en route to Kiev by train. (Photo: GCIS)


Twenty-four hours and counting…


Members of the Special Forces and Presidential Protection Unit, and journalists, have been held up at Warsaw Chopin Airport since the afternoon of Thursday 15 June, in what appears to be a diplomatic nightmare. 

Polish officials refused permission to offload containers storing weapons and other equipment, with Polish ground staff flagging issues with permits. However, head of the Presidential Protection Unit General Wally Rhoode said that all relevant documentation was in place, and accused Polish officials of racism and sabotage. 

Rhoode has maintained throughout that the president would be protected during his many stops during the peace mission, despite this obstacle. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: Standoff at Warsaw airport after officials try to confiscate weapons from Ramaphosa’s Presidential Protection Unit

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya on Friday morning also confirmed that the president’s safety was not compromised. 

“I would like to assure all South Africans that there has been no compromise whatsoever to the President’s safety as the result of the charter flight which involves PPS and journalists,” Magwenya explained. 



Ramaphosa visited the Polish capital Warsaw to pay a courtesy call on President Andrzej Duda, who leads a country that shares borders with Ukraine and Russia, and is deeply affected by the regional conflict. He then boarded a train to Kyiv where he was to meet the Ukraine president.

The US and Poland are longtime allies with strong bilateral ties. The Polish government has been a supporter of continued American military and economic presence in Europe. 



Pretoria has recently been perceived as having a good relationship with Russia, which has compromised South Africa’s position with the US.

Over the next 24 hours, Ramaphosa is expected to travel to St Petersburg, where he and the African delegation are to meet his Russian counterpart.

Riddled with mishaps 


This mission has been riddled with a number of mishaps for South Africa since its inception.

First, the government struggled to secure a company able to charter a flight to a war zone. Most companies do not have insurance to enter a conflict-stricken area. 

Then, once airborne, the security detail plane’s pilot had to fly in circles while awaiting clearance to fly into Italian airspace. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: Peace mission commences – Ramaphosa and African leaders to meet Zelensky then Putin

South African Airways Captain Mpho Mamashela noted that this was his first time experiencing such a dilemma since he became a pilot in 1982.

Trying to lighten the mood, Mamashela said: “We could be breaking a record. I think that someone should take a note of it and put it in the Guinness World Records. The situation of the aircraft is not a problem, everything that was supposed to be done, has been done. The whole issue is about the mission and it is beyond me. My mission is to get the aircraft here safely and as long as you are onboard we give you SAA hospitality,” he said. 

Mamashele and his crew have been making sure that all aboard were provided with food and drinks, but it seems resources are running low. 

The captain tried to keep up passengers’ spirits by playing local South African music, which created a short moment of comfort and hope.

Plane seats have become makeshift beds and small cabin bathrooms are the only source for passengers to freshen up. 

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African Heads of State participating in the African Leaders Peace Mission. (Photo: GCIS)


Ramaphosa’s peace mission continues


Meanwhile, Ramaphosa has continued with African Peace Mission proceedings. The President has arrived in Ukraine after a 15-hour train journey, where talks are expected to commence. 

Reuters reported that there was an air alert issued in Kyiv upon the African leaders’ arrival. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: Biden administration shares concerns of US Congress over SA’s perceived support for Russia

Ramaphosa, Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema and Senegalese President Macky Sall are directly participating in the mission. 

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, Comoran president Azali Assoumani and Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso have all pulled out. 

Sassou Nguesso tried to persuade the other participants to postpone the peace mission on the grounds that the launch of Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia had made a visit to Kyiv too dangerous. 

Magwenya said that despite the plane issues in Poland, the rest of the mission was proceeding as planned.

Earlier, Ramaphosa and counterparts visited the site of a mass burial in the city of Bucha in Ukraine, before they were due to meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.



DM

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