New questions emerge on the charter plane carrying refugees

The Talking Point

New questions have been raised on the charter plane used to transport the 49 refugees that left for the USA earlier this month. Every foreign charter plane that enters the country requires a foreign operator's permit and disclose the purpose for travel. In the event where they are transporting more than 8 people, the charter plane has to provide status of passengers. According to a Department of Transport spokesperson, all procedures were followed to obtain the permit. However, The Department of Home Affairs and International Relations have dismissed the status of the 49 Afrikaaners as refugees and the passengers would not be able to prove their immigration status. Some experts have called the approval of the plane irrational, unconstitutional and a dangerous aviation precedent.

This is not the first time chartered planes have landed in South African airports without the correct foreign operating permits: the most recent incident involved an Angolan flight in Cape Town back in 2022. Our next guest helps us unpack the regulations that the International Air Service Licensing Council should have followed, the relationship with the National Department of Transport and how these incidents affect our national security. We are joined by…

Guest: Phuthego Mojapele - Aviation Expert