‘Excruciatingly Hot’ Aircraft: Children Crying in 12-Hour Tarmac Ordeal
South African authorities are confronting a storm of criticism following a distressing incident where 153 Palestinian passengers, including families with young children and a woman nine months pregnant, were confined to a charter plane on the tarmac at Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport for approximately 12 hours.
The group, which landed on Thursday morning after a stop in Nairobi, Kenya, was denied entry due to problems with their travel documents. According to the Border Management Authority, the passengers' papers lacked Israeli exit stamps, failed to specify their intended length of stay in South Africa, and did not provide local addresses.
‘Sweating and Screaming’: Pastor Describes Dire Conditions Onboard
Nigel Branken, a pastor allowed to board the aircraft during the standoff, provided a harrowing account to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). He described an ‘excruciatingly hot’ cabin where the situation was ‘dire.’
‘When I came on to the plane it was excruciatingly hot,’ Branken recounted. ‘There were lots of children just sweating and screaming and crying.’ His testimony has become a focal point for the public anger directed at the government's handling of the situation.
Resolution and Political Fallout
The passengers were finally permitted to disembark on Thursday night after the intervention of South Africa's Home Affairs ministry. The relief organisation Gift of the Givers stepped in to offer accommodation.
Border officials confirmed that while 23 passengers have since travelled to other countries, 130 remain in South Africa, with many now intending to claim asylum. The founder of Gift of the Givers, Imtiaz Sooliman, revealed this was the second such flight from Gaza to arrive recently, with passengers expressing uncertainty about their final destination.
The incident has sparked significant controversy, given South Africa's longstanding and vocal support for the Palestinian cause. Pastor Branken echoed the sentiments of many critics, stating, ‘I do not believe this is what South Africa is about. South Africa should be letting these people into the airport at the very least and letting them apply for asylum. This is their basic fundamental right guaranteed in our constitution.’
Questions remain about the origin and organisation of the charter flight, and how the passengers were able to depart Israel without the requisite documentation, as highlighted by South African authorities.
