Local initiative helps hundreds of Indians stranded in South Africa get home

Thirty-three-year-old software professional Uday Tangade is among scores of Indians in South Africa, who are relieved to touch base in India, amid the Coronavirus lockdown and travel restrictions. “My visa was over in April and there were no flights. We had apprehensions in our minds about other flights due to safety issues as some flights were going through Dubai and there were problems like layovers initially.

But, my family and I managed to come home without a problem,” said Tangade, who hails from Chikodi in Belgaum district of Karnataka.

Like Tangade, hundreds of Indians, who were stranded in South Africa and were in desperate situations ranging from medical emergencies back home, to being pregnant, losing jobs, and expired visas, succeeded in coming back to the country. After the India Club, an organization based in South Africa managed to tie up with Emirates Airlines and arranged for special repatriation flights, which also offered cheaper tickets, to India. They eventually managed to repatriate a total of around 1,500 Indians. As many as three of these flights were to Mumbai, while the rest of the flights to other places including Bengaluru.

Though announcements were made of the Vande Bharat initiative of the Indian Government, most were unsure on how many flights would eventually be organized and how many Indians would be able to travel back. The Indian High Commission and Consulate General in Johannesburg also came to the aid and helped in organizing these flights. A RABT Covid-19 test was made mandatory for all passengers before they boarded the Emirates flight.

“Several tourists, businessmen and students were stranded. Most of the companies are in lock down and survival was difficult for some of their Indian employees. Some wanted medication from India, while some were pregnant and few of them were labourers, who had lost jobs. So, we managed to arrange flights for all of them and send them back home. We are still getting demands from these flights and few Indians now want to come back to South Africa. Some South Africans struck here in India also want to come back,” said Mayur Akole, project director of the club.