For several hours, the South African president’s security crew has been detained aboard an aircraft in Poland.
It’s reported that authorities are refusing to allow them and accompanying journalists to disembark and continue their journey to Ukraine where Cyril Ramaphosa is leading the peace mission by African heads of states.
The SAA chartered flight with more than 120 people on board reportedly landed in Warsaw’s Chopin Airport early on Thursday afternoon.
Ramaphosa’s head of security, Maj Gen Wally Rhoode, said the Polish government was sabotaging the president’s security by not allowing them to disembark.
“They are delaying us, they are putting the life of our president in jeopardy,” he told journalists.
“Because we could have been in Kyiv by now and this is all they are doing. I want you guys to see how racist they are.”
The Polish authorities have not commented on the situation.