Distressed South Africans accounted for in Mozambique
The South African High Commission in Mozambique’s capital Maputo has managed to account for 43 nationals affected by recent attacks in the northern parts of the country.
PRETORIA, March 30 (ANA) – The South African High Commission in Mozambique’s capital Maputo has managed to account for 43 nationals caught up in recent attacks in the northern parts of that country.
“The citizens were in the area known as Afungi. These include the two men who fled into the bush during the attacks on the Amarula Hotel convoy on 26 March and a young South African who hid away and was found by search and rescue helicopters,” Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesman Clayson Monyela said in a statement.
Some of the South Africans have returned home while others have been moved to safe areas within Mozambique.
“The High Commission remains seized with a track-and-trace process to determine whether there are any more South Africans who may have been affected,” said Monyela.
“The services provided by the High Commission include assisting South African citizens with emergency medical evacuation, obtaining emergency travel documentation and securing international flight transfers.”
International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor has commended staff at the embassy in Maputo for what she called their prompt efforts to reach out to fellow South Africans in distress.
Pandor, who is currently on an official visit to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, sent condolences to the family of South African national Adrian Nel who was among the people killed in the brutal insurgency being waged by militant Islamists in northern Mozambique.
The family of Pietermaritzburg-born Nel, who would have celebrated his birthday this Thursday, are hoping to receive his body from Mozambique in the next few days.
The 40-year-old was part of a convoy trying to escape the town of Palma in the volatile northern Cabo Delgado province.
The shootings reportedly began just hours after French energy company Total said last Wednesday it would resume work at its $20 billion project after halting operations in January due to security concerns, according to news agency Reuters.
On Saturday, Total said it had postponed the restart of work at its site near Palma.
– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa