NEWS FROM AFRICA South Africa’s stranded presidential security team: Poland denies racism

Poland says racism was not a factor in its decision to refuse entry to South African presidential guards and media for more than 24 hours.

The stand-off happened at Warsaw’s Chopin airport. The aircraft will now be held there until Sunday, an airport spokesman told the BBC.

About 120 people were stuck on the plane, who were all on their way to a peace summit in Ukraine.

Some of the passengers are now disembarking and going to a hotel.

Poland’s actions have left President Cyril Ramaphosa, who travelled separately to Ukraine, without some of his security detail.

This prompted a furious reaction from Mr Ramaphosa’s head of security, Maj Gen Wally Rhoode.

“They are delaying us, they are putting the life of our president in jeopardy,” he told journalists. “We could have been in Kyiv by now and this is all they are doing. I want you guys to see how racist they are.”

But Poland has dismissed this outright.

“Accusations against Poland of racism are being circulated in this case. This is nonsense,” says the director of the National Security Department and spokesman for Poland’s Minister-Special Services Coordinator, Stanisław Żaryn.

Warsaw Chopin airport spokesman Piotr Rudzki told the BBC the South African security guards did not have the necessary permits for their weapons.

“We cannot let passengers with illegal firearms into the EU,” he said.

Mr Rudzki added that they were told they could disembark if they left their weapons on the plane but they refused.

“The firearms... were not going to be confiscated as some reports in South Africa have said,” he added.

What started as an impasse on Thursday afternoon has escalated into a diplomatic row.

A spokesman for South Africa’s president said the row was “regrettable”. Vincent Magwenya had said efforts were being made to ensure those on the aircraft can proceed “to cover at least the Russian leg” of the trip. But according to Mr Rudzki, this is no longer an option.

Despite the events in Warsaw, Mr Magwenya says President Ramaphosa arrived safely in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv safely by train from Poland, along with other African heads of state who are visiting the country to promote dialogue with Russia.

“I would like to assure all South Africans