Johannesburg - Ten South Africans have been arrested without
charge in China, having been part of a 20-strong tour group detained by Chinese
officials last week, humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers said on
Tuesday.
The tour group were on a planned 47-day trip to explore the
country, and comprised of 10 South Africans, nine British nationals and one
Indian national, Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman said in a
statement.
The tour "went horribly wrong" on Friday, when the
group were arrested at Erdos airport, in Inner Mongolia, at 09:40 local time.
"No reasons were given for the arrest; cellphones were
confiscated, there was no access to the embassies of origin nor to their
families. They were detained without charge with no access to any communication
nor to legal representation. "
He said only on Sunday did the tour operator realise
something was wrong, with news of the arrests only emerging after the operator
went to Erdos.
‘Chinese finding reasons for arrests’
Family members of those in the tour party have not yet been
contacted, with Chinese authorities reportedly attempting to find reasons for
the arrests and detentions.
Sooliman said the Chinese linked some members of the tour
group to a banned organisation, a terror group, and for watching propaganda
videos in their hotel room.
"Ironically, one of the arrested is an MK veteran of
the Luthuli detachment who spent 27 years in exile. Dirco [SA department of
international relations and co-operation] was contacted on Sunday and
immediately consular services were provided both in South Africa and
China," he said.
"A team from the South African Embassy and the British
Embassy met with the Chinese Foreign Ministry officials this [Tuesday]
morning."
Chinese authorities have since agreed to release 11 of the
tour party, but they will remain in detention without being charged until
flights out of China could be found for them, Friday being the earliest.
Company CEO also one of those detained
"The other nine are being held without charge at a
detention centre on the accusation that they were watching propaganda videos. They
are 5 South Africans, 3 Britons and 1 Indian national," Sooliman said.
"Of the 5 South Africans being held, 3 (including the
MK member) are direct relatives of Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom. Salim Aziz
Joosub, Shameel's brother, is CEO of Capital and Financial Brokers. "
Sooliman said the families thanked the South African
government for their "unwavering support and call upon the Chinese government
to release the detainees immediately".
"These individuals have no terror links, no criminal
record in their country and include Dr Feroz Suliman, a general surgeon at
Waterfall Hospital, and his wife, Dr Shehnaaz Mohamed, also a medical
doctor."
While the South Africans are locked in detention, the
Chinese government is hosting Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who arrived in
the country on Monday.
In a statement on Monday, the presidency said the deputy
president is leading a South African government, business, and state-owned
enterprises delegation on an official visit to the country, scheduled to end on
Friday.
