A group of journalists, who were stranded on a South African Airways flight at the Warsaw Chopin Airport in Poland, have reportedly been given clearance to disembark.
The journalists are with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s security team, as an African delegation visits Ukraine on a peace mission.
Earlier, we reported that the journalists were stranded onboard the SAA flight as the Polish authorities restricted them to the airport, saying they didn’t have a permit to have their weapons in the country.
[JUST-IN] General Whally Rhoode the head of Presidential Protection unit says the South African government is being sabotaged by the polish government on the #RoadToPeace Mission between Russia and Ukraine. “They want to put the security of our President at risk” #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/YKK0bXW3op
— #LordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) June 15, 2023
President Ramaphosa and his Senegalese counterpart, Macky Sall, are heading the delegation to Kyiv today and St. Petersburg tomorrow.
Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says, “We acknowledge the regrettable nature of that incident. Our officials are engaging with their Polish counterparts so that the PPS team and the media can proceed with their journey as planned, as well as be able to cover the Russian leg of the peace talks. We are deeply disturbed by the experience they have gone through.”
READ | Head of the Presidential Protection Services, Major General Wally Rhoode, has expressed frustration over delays experienced by a contingent of specialised police officers and journalists who were not allowed to disembark at the Warsaw Chopin Airport https://t.co/nIrRdEdXxM pic.twitter.com/AHZ3yVfOYT
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) June 16, 2023
President Ramaphosa is part of the African team visiting Russia and Ukraine to broker peace and facilitate an end to the conflict.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky later this afternoon and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday.
[WATCH] President @CyrilRamaphosa has arrived at Nemishaeve Railway Station in Ukraine and is received by Ukraine’s Special Envoy for Africa and the Middle East Ambassador Maksym Subhk and South African Ambassador to Ukraine Andre Groenewald.#AfricanPeaceMission pic.twitter.com/lX1yGsfpjz
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) June 16, 2023
