Smuts 'bumps' woman off flight

2007-11-09 07:27

Leané du Plessis

Johannesburg - A woman from Johannesburg was removed from a flight between Durban and Port Elizabeth earlier this week, apparently to make room for Smuts Ngonyama, chief spokesperson of the ANC. "I was humiliated, shocked and in a state," said Sharmalee Maistry after she was removed from an SA Express flight on Tuesday evening to make room for Ngonyama at the last minute.

Maistry arrived at about 16:00 at the check-in desk at Durban airport for her flight to Port Elizabeth. She received a boarding pass with seat number 6A. Shortly afterwards she boarded the plane and took her seat.

"The doors (of the aircraft) had just been closed when the captain suddenly announced there was someone on the plane who was not supposed to be there. They then announced my name."

Staff escorted her off the plane. "I had to look for my luggage in the hull of the aircraft with the engines roaring in my ears."

Shortly afterwards she saw a bus stopping next to the aircraft, somebody got out and got onto the aircraft.

Staff provided conflicting reasons for removing her from the aircraft. At first they said she was booked on a standby flight. Then they said her travel agent had forced her onto the flight. The travel agent, who wanted to remain anonymous, denied this.

The next morning a member of SA Express apparently apologised, saying she had to be removed to make room for an ANC member who had to be on time for an urgent meeting with the president. He didn't mention the person's name, said Maistry.

"Of all the people on the flight, why did they have to choose me? They said they would compensate me, but how can compensation make up for what I had to go through?"

Ngonyama told Carien Du Plessis on Wednesday evening that the airline was at fault.

He had booked his seat online. According to him his seat number was 6A on the flight between Durban and Port Elizabeth. "My seat was given to a woman who arrived at the airport before me, and I told them to put it right," he said.

He was then allowed on the flight to Port Elizabeth.

"I never used my position to put it right and I was not in the wrong. If you want to publish this because I'm a politician, you must go ahead," he said.

SA Express failed to comment even after several requests to do so.

- Beeld