Travel at Your Own Risk – Pandor

By: Mfundo Mabaso

Department of International Relations and Cooperation  Minister, Naledi Pandor, says South Africans travelling to the Northern hemisphere countries must exercise caution as most nations are deep in the second wave of COVID-19.

Pandor says this during a media briefing on Monday updating on international relations highlights for 2020.

She says she is worried about travelers becoming distressed or even destitute pending the reintroduction of stricter lockdown restrictions with the likelihood of cancelling international flights at short notice.

Pandor adds that holidaymakers must familiarise themselves with immigration and health entry requirements of the country they will be visiting during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, one of the hurdles faced by the department this year was the repatriation of citizens who found themselves stuck outside of South Africa due to lockdowns that were implemented by many countries, including South Africa.

According to Pandor, the department’s Consular Services managed to repatriate just over 30 000 South Africans who were stranded from all corners of the world, using over 350 flights.