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News24 had an exclusive look at the Cape Town Stadium site, where up to 6,000 foreign tourists will be processed before safely returning home.
The stadium hosted the 2010 Soccer World Cup, then rock concerts, then rugby matches, and even a world tennis match between world superstars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
But now the world-class facility has been urgently transformed into a facility to meticulously process thousands of foreign tourists.
CLOCK | German government begins repatriation of SA citizens
This initiative is being led by the Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management Center in collaboration with multiple state agencies, including the national government, Port Health, Cape Town, the South African Airport Company, Wesgro and a host of foreign embassies and consulates.
Stadium CEO Lesley de Reuck said: “When we got the call from the provincial government, it was not a difficult decision to make.
“This is a stressful time for the country, it is a stressful time for people and for the world. Can you imagine going through this type of stress and you are not in your own country? Therefore, we wanted to play a very small role in a great plan
“The logistics are working very well right now.”
‘It goes very well’
Western Cape Department of Transportation and Public Works Deputy Director Faizel Williams said: “It has been a phenomenal team effort by everyone who has been involved. It just shows what is possible when government departments collaborate. During the next two weeks, we have a continuous schedule of repatriation flights. “
The Consul General of the German Consulate in Cape Town, Matthias Hansen, told News24: “Everything is going very well. Yesterday [Tuesday]It was our third repatriation flight from Cape Town: we had the first two on Friday and Saturday.
“Since the beginning of the crisis, we had approximately 4,000 German tourists in the consular district, which includes the north, east and west of the Cape. Our goal is for all those who want to be repatriated to be repatriated,” said Hansen.
READ | Blockade: German citizens going home after SAA agrees to provide repatriation services
He added that he had given all returning tourists a “farewell speech.”
“I have asked all tourists to really understand the measures that the South African government is taking to combat the virus, which I think are necessary and very important.”
“Secondly, I ask everyone if, if possible, they return to South Africa. Their time in South Africa may have been interrupted and ended in a rather unusual way, but there are many things to see. It is a wonderful country, with good people heart, and there are many reasons to come back, “said Hansen.
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