Mbalula: If you come here on a plane from a high-risk country, we send you home

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula on Friday said at OR Tambo International that any non-South African citizens flying into South Africa from identified high-risk countries would not be allowed entry, and measures had already been implemented throughout the day.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday said the identified countries included Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and China.

Visitors from countries not considered high risk have still been allowed to enter the country.

“We have cancelled visas to visitors from those countries from today [Sunday] and previously granted visas are hereby revoked,” Ramaphosa said.

Mbalula said that a total of 20 aircraft had arrived on Friday and “the process as per regulation was followed”.

“They arrived because they were already airborne by the time [further] restrictions [against them] were announced.” He later explained that the ban was announced from 18 March, and “it has now been operationalised”.

He said a Chinese flight that had arrived early this morning was one of the first affected and the non-South Africans were kept on the flight. Sixty-eight Chinese South Africans were not allowed to disembark.

“One of those that arrived was Air China which arrived at OR Tambo International Airport around 08H37 from Shenzhen and it was also subjected to the travel restrictions.”

Eighty South Africans, among them students, were screened from that flight and taken to a provincial facility in Gauteng for clinical assessments that would inform the applicable quarantine measures to be taken. Similar measures were taken with the citizens on the other flights, who were bused to the facility.

Personnel were wearing protective gear, as prescribed, he said.

The international airports affected included OR Tambo, King Shaka International in Durban and Cape Town International.

Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Air France and Alitalia were the other airlines affected.

“I want to dismiss the false information going around that the airports are closing,” said Mbalula. “All operations are [otherwise] normal.”

He said the national command centre, chaired by Ramaphosa, would have to decide on whether airports would still be shut down completely, but that had not yet happened.

“The only people allowed to come back home are South Africans, because constitutionally we have no right to stop them from disembarking.”

Mbalula confirmed that many of the foreigners who had flown into South Africa were in transit to other African countries, such as Mozambique, that have subsequently also announced travel bans.

No aircraft had been denied entry into South African aircraft, and no planes had been grounded.

Mbalula revealed that at least one airline had threatened litigation against him and government on the basis that “we are bringing your people”.

He said it might be necessary to upgrade the regulations to include a total ban, including on airlines departing from the high-risk countries. He said that, currently, the ban was not on flights from high-risk countries, but on citizens from those countries.

“We need to partly divulge that this is a challenge we are dealing with. Constitutionally we can’t disallow our citizens when they want to come here.”

He congratulated officials, Acsa and other air transport staff for their excellent work on the day to “preserve the country’s interests”.

“Stop unnecessary movement!” said an animated Mbalula, making it clear that he meant any form of travel, including moving around South Africa on public transport. “Stay where you are and socialise in your areas.”

He added: “This virus is not stopping.”

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