A Diplomatic row has broken out between the South African and Polish governments. A South African Airways (SAA) chartered plane by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) couldn’t disembark for 10 hours at the Warsaw Airport transported President Ramaphosa’s security detail.
President Ramaphosa’s head of security, Major General Wally Rhoode says the Polish government is sabotaging President Ramaphosa’s security.
President Ramaphosa will enter Ukrainian land, Kyiv with thin security as his Special Forces Security is prevented from disembarking at Warsaw airport in Poland.
Diplomatic row breaks out over President Ramaphosa’s security personnel to disembark in Warsaw:
The aircraft transporting over a hundred security personnel with heavy gunfire was prevented from entering Poland without original permits for the weapons.
Flyover permits for some countries were also an issue, as the aircraft had to turn in cycles for an hour before entering Italian airspace, with a flyover permit issue being raised.
Rhoode says the Polish government is sabotaging Ramaphosa and other African Presidents, Road to Peace Mission.
“Bonny tried for four hours, Bonny was stripped searched and it has never happened that someone with a diplomatic passport is stripped searched – just to get us out of here. Now they say we don’t have permits and we have them.”
“The only difference now is they say we can’t bring a copy of the permits and they want the original. Embassy here thought it is not necessary to have the originals,” adds Rhoode.
Rhoode says the mission was to prevent the President from entering Ukraine with his security.
The Presidential Protection Unit (PPU) head has accused the Polish authorities of delaying tactics, pandering into the Geopolitical arena.
“Now all of a sudden, we must have originals, they are delaying us. They [are] putting the life of our President in jeopardy. Because we could have been in Kyiv by now and this is all they are doing. I want you guys to see how racist they are.”
Rhoode says they are being sabotaged by the Polish government and can’t offload their heavy machinery and weapons to protect President Ramaphosa in Kyiv thus putting the President’s security at risk.
The PPU says no tax payers money was wasted but the Polish government is putting Pamaphosa’a life at risk.
