Govt acts for 153 Palestinians stuck at OR Tambo

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AVERTED

- DAILY NEWS REPORTER

ALLOWING passengers on an aircraft carrying 153 Palestinians to be processed by the local authorities was done as a "humanitarian act", said Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola.

Lamola was referring to the aircraft that arrived at OR Tambo Airport on November 13 with landing rights, but permissions for the mass entry of foreign passengers into the country were not secured, which posed a significant challenge.

He said the challenge was the work of foreign opportunists who exploited the country’s visa-free regime with Palestine to orchestrate the unvetted arrival of the foreigners.