Wia dis foto come from, Gift of the Givers
Wetin we call dis foto, About 23 of dem don leave for oda destinations, authorities sayArticle InformationAuthor, Khanyisile NgcoboRole, Reporting from JohannesburgAuthor, Wycliffe MuiaRole, Reporting from Nairobi
14 November 2025
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa don tok say dem go do investigation into di “mysterious” arrival of one chartered plane wey dey carry 153 Palestinians from Gaza into di kontri.
Di group arrive for OR Tambo International Airport but dem initially refuse dem entry and dem dey stranded for di plane for more dan 10 hours.
Local authorities say di group “no get di customary departure stamps for dia passports.”
Dem eventually allow most of dem into di kontri afta intervention from a local charity and becos di govment “empathy [and] compassion”, Ramaphosa say.
Di circumstances wey surround dia departure from Gaza and travel to South Africa still remain unclear.
South Africa don maintain strong support for di Palestinian throughout di war between Hamas and Israel for Gaza.
Ramaphosa say di group “somehow mysteriously dey inside plane wey pass by Nairobi” and fly to South Africa, according to reports by di News24 site.
Israeli military body Cogat, wey dey control Gaza crossings, tok for dia statement say “di residents comot from di Gaza Strip afta Cogat receive approval from third country to receive dem.” E no specify di kontri.
According to di Palestinian embassy for South Africa, di group bin comot from Israel Ramon Airport and fly to di country through di Kenyan capital, Nairobi, “without any prior note or coordination”.
“One unregistered and misleading organization don cheat di tragic humanitarian conditions of our pipo for Gaza, deceive families, collect money from dem, and facilitate dia travel for irregular and irresponsible manner”.
Of di 153, 23 bin manage to fly on to oda destinations, wit 130 wey dem admit into di country, South African authorities say.
Ramaphosa, wen e tok during one event for Johannesburg, e say di home affairs minister bin inform am of di crisis.
In response, di president say “we no fit turn dem back”, according to News24.
“Even though dem no get di necessary documents and papers, dis na pipo from a strife-torn, a war-torn country.”
Di president also tell reporters say di South African govment go carry out “proper evaluation” of di mata and update di public on “wetin dey happun and how dis mata come to be wia e dey”, according to public broadcaster SABC.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber say di while Palestinian passport-holders qualify for 90-day visa-exempt access to South Africa, di lack of departure stamps, return tickets or accommodation addresses for some of di travellers documentation result in di initial refusal to let dem into di kontri.
Once dem establish say di absence of dis information “no mean say di travellers wish to apply for asylum” and dem confam dia accommodation, dem grant dem entry.
“All of di travellers dey in possession of valid passports and, at present, none of dem have don apply for asylum,” e say.
South African charity Gift of di Givers say e go provide di group wit accommodation for di kontri.
Civil societies for South Africa don call for investigations into di conditions di Palestinians bin comot from Gaza and di exact route of di aircraft.
One of di Palestinians wey speak to local eNCA TV express im relief to dey for South Africa, e describe am as a kontri of “peace, laws and justice”.
“We come from Gaza wia we face death on daily basis. We survive war of two years and we dey lucky to dey here,” one man wey run wit im wife and two children say.
Gift of di Givers don call for Ramaphosa to investigate di home affairs ministry and border authority for di “humiliation wey dem cause” di Palestinians.
Di organisation founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman say dis treatment include being forced to wait for hours on di tarmac for di airport, dem deny dem food provided by di group and “using evri excuse for di book to prevent dis passengers make dem no come down from di plane.”
South Africa dey highly critical of Israel military operation for Gaza.
Di kontri sympathy for di Palestinian fight for an independent state go back decades, particularly di early 1990s wen anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela pledge support for di Palestinian cause.
Large pro-Palestinian march don hold around South Africa since di conflict begin.
Smaller pro-Israel marches and rallies don hold for di kontri, wey dey host di largest Jewish community for sub-Saharan Africa.
For 2023, di South African govment filed case against Israel wit di International Court of Justice, accusing dem of genocide for Gaza. Israel don strongly reject di South African claim, as e call am “baseless”.