To Dr Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), and His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa,

We write to you on behalf of the over 250 South Africans who remain stranded within the People’s Republic of China. Many of whom find themselves with increasingly limited resources as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Worldwide people are facing the loss of jobs and the resulting inability to support themselves and their families. This group is not immune to these struggles.

We note the extraordinary effort which has been made to repatriate thousands of South Africans from various destinations around the world. We see the joy, gratitude, and relief expressed by those who have been fortunate enough to return to their homes and families. However, we cannot help but feel a growing sense of concern as many of our fellow South Africans remain stranded.

Our concern for those stranded was only made worse by a recent media briefing by Dr Pandor. During which it appeared that the pleas from the group in China had yet to reach the ears of DIRCO’s highest official.

With particular reference to the group in China, we wish to assure those who hold the power to make repatriation possible of the following:

1. The requirements, as outlined by DIRCO,  for the repatriation of South Africans are met by this group.

2. The documentation required in order to verify the citizenship of those requesting repatriation has been sent to the relevant embassy and/or consulate. In fact, this group began the process of submitting information to the China division of the Home Away from Home group at the end of March 2020. Further to this, they submitted their information directly to either the Beijing or Shanghai consulate on 29 April 2020.

We ask that you afford this group of South Africans the same grace, effort, and determination which has been afforded to the many thousands who have now been able to return to South Africa.

Hear their pleas. Bring them home.