New Zealander Tanya Ritter (left) pictured with her mum is stranded in South Africa and is desperate to come home. Photo / Supplied
New Zealander Tanya Ritter (left) pictured with her mum is stranded in South Africa and is desperate to come home. Photo / Supplied
Mangawhai woman Tanya Ritter is stuck in South Africa due to the Covid-19 outbreak and is desperate for the Government to help her come home.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) said it is "putting in a great deal of work" to help the 170 New Zealanders in South Africa who are keen to come home.
Ritter, 55, a building technical support staff at the Kaipara District Council, is one of 238 New Zealanders stranded there after the sudden coronavirus border closures happened.
New Zealander Tanya Ritter (left) pictured with her mum is stranded in South Africa and is desperate to come home. Photo / Supplied
Her partner Richard Watkins said Ritter has been "trying as hard as she can to get back to NZ" but was facing bureaucratic obstacles.
She travelled to South Africa in early March to celebrate her mother's birthday with her and was due to return on April 4.
"She was ticketed to fly back to NZ on April 4 but changed her flights to depart March 29 (but) Qantas' last flight out of South Africa was the 27th due to the South African government lockdown," Watkins said.
"There is a repatriation flight from South Africa scheduled to depart Johannesburg on April 30, this flight will fly Johannesburg to Jakarta, Sydney all confirmed."
However, he said New Zealand had not given the approval for the charter flight, organised by Arno Nel and operated by Lion Air, to land in Auckland.
Watkins said Ritter had registered with safetravel.govt.nz and wanted clarity from the New Zealand Government, but "all requests are falling on deaf ears".
The South African government has issued a statement that they will be deploying the military to enforce lockdown measures, Watkins said.
Mfat says there are 170 New Zealanders stuck in South Africa. Photo / File
"It is a fast deteriorating situation in South Africa where already the military and police have been systematically beating and forcing its citizens to pay bribes for what would be deemed essential tasks such as getting food and medication," he said.
Watkins said all that is needed now for Ritter to book her flight was an approval from New Zealand.
"We appreciate the NZ government is very busy at this point in time but the people stranded in South Africa are in a state of high anxiety and mental stress," he said.
Watkins said Ritter was worried about the increasing crime and the escalating situation there. She was awoken by the sounds of live gunshots, police sirens and police helicopter a few nights ago.
"I myself lived in Africa for close to 15 years and know how situations there can spiral out of control at a speed New Zealanders would find hard to fathom," Watkins added.
An Mfat spokesman said the ministry was working on repatriation options, including through commercial flights, should they resume, or a repatriation flight option.
"We have also alerted these stranded Kiwis to two potential flight options to depart, including a proposed Australian government charter and a Canadian Government-organised charter to London," he said.
The spokesman said there were risks involved for those wanting to go on private charter operations.
"Private charters have brought New Zealanders home, but we are also aware some flights have fallen through," he said.
"There are risks any private charter may not ultimately proceed, as they are run on a purely commercial basis, and flights could be cancelled if they are only partially full."
He said the organisers of the private charter flight from South Africa have been in touch with the ministry and have been provided with the relevant NZ air industry contacts for flight approvals.
"We encourage New Zealand citizens considering this, or any other private charter flights, to make their own assessment in relation to the viability and carrier safety," the spokesman said.
"In relation to the private South Africa repatriation flight, New Zealand citizens can transit through Sydney onto commercial operated flights back to New Zealand under some circumstances."
Mfat set out a call on March 17 for all New Zealanders around the world to come home as travel routes began shutting down.
He said the ministry was continuing to respond to unprecedented numbers of enquiries from many still stuck overseas.
"We are in contact with nearly 24,000 New Zealanders overseas seeking advice or assistance, and we appreciate the heightened stress many are facing," the spokesman added.
