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SA embassy in Thailand lauded
06/01/2005 22:58 - (SA)
Marida Fitzpatrick, Beeld
Johannesburg - The South African embassy in Thailand has received high praise for their assistance to families of South African victims of the tsunami disaster.
At least two families, who flew to Thailand in the past week to hunt for their missing loved ones, told of the exceptional assistance they received from embassy staff.
"I have no idea what we would have done had it not been for the South African embassy.
"The staff was simply fantastic," said Roelof Berg from Thailand on Thursday.
Berg and his brother-in-law Christo Blignault were in Phuket where they were trying to find Toney de Gouveia and his wife Anita.
"Ever since we arrived, the embassy has been assisting us in every possible way."
Ellen Berman, mother of Avadya Berman, whose body was found in Thailand on Wednesday, confirmed this.
Three of her family members, who went to Thailand in search of her son, said they received unstinting support from the South African embassy.
"The personnel went out of their way to make this mammoth task as easy as possible for us," said Berman.
According to Berg, Buli Ndzimande Pheto, South African ambassador to Thailand, met them at the airport.
"She arranged for a taxi and driver to take us to the various morgues and hospitals."
The embassy also put two of their Thai staff members at the disposal of Berg and his brother-in-law to act as interpreters.
The embassy arranged accommodation and fresh water, and provided them with masks and gloves when they needed to search among the dead.
Pheto said on Thursday embassy staff felt it was the least they could do to assist families to make it easier for them.
"We have tried since the first day to support them in every possible manner," she said.
Berg said it was horrible to visit the morgues and hospitals and sort through the corpses in search of the De Gouveia couple.
"I cannot express in words what a gruesome experience it was.
"Especially the bodies of the many children are heart-rending."
The stench of death in Krabi, where hundreds of bodies were being stored temporarily, was "unbearable", Berg said.
"Initially you feel it is just too much to endure, but when you realise that you were there on a mission, you simply continued."
Send e-mail to mfitzpat@beeld.com
- Beeld
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