“SA students & other Africans have been badly treated at the Ukraine /Poland border. Amb J Mngomezulu has driven from Warsaw (5 hours) to go deal with the matter, receive our nationals & offer further support. Amb G Tsengiwe in Hungary is also attending to South Africans on his side.”
Clayson Monyela
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has now confirmed earlier claims of South Africans and other Africans suffering poor treatment while trying to flee Ukraine.
Dirco’s response comes after several groups of African students pleaded for help after being denied access to trains leaving Ukraine. They also claimed they were not allowed to cross the borders into both Hungary and Poland.
Dirco’s Clayson Monyela, the Head of Public Diplomacy at the department, took to Twitter to confirm the issues. Monyela revealed that the South African ambassadors in Hungary and Poland have both stepped up.
A video of African nationals trying to board a train in Ukraine started picking up traction on social media over the weekend. The Africans were seemingly being denied access to the train, with Ukrainians allegedly being prioritised.