Larry and Sharon McGillewie, two of the local aviators recently detained in Namibia for allegedly not having proper documentation, were the first pair to touch down at Grahamstown around noon on Saturday.
Larry and Sharon McGillewie, two of the local aviators recently detained in Namibia for allegedly not having proper documentation, were the first pair to touch down at Grahamstown around noon on Saturday.
Met by Larry's mother, Ethne, and their dogs Cleo and Paddy, the McGillewies were visibly relieved to be home.
What was supposed to be a goodwill trip around southern Africa turned into an ordeal for the group, but at least it wasn't all for nothing: they raised around R300 000 for the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa).
"I suppose the only positive spin-off is that everybody is now aware of our Cansa flight," laughed Larry, who owns the Grahamstown Flight School and organised the charity trip.
But it took a lot out of the 20 pilots and passengers who spent several days being shunted around by Namibian officials.
The group of 12 small planes landed in the northern town of Ondangwa on 4 May, a public holiday. "Our biggest fault was landing in Ondangwa on Cassinga Day," says Sharon.
"It's a national day of mourning for them."
Cassinga Day commemorates 600 people, mostly women and children, killed in 1978 when the South African National Defence Force attacked a Swapo (South West African Peoples' Organisation) base at Cassinga in southern Angola.
Upon landing Larry says they were surrounded by "about 20 military and police – all with automatic firearms." Had they landed in the south, Larry believes they wouldn't have had any problems entering the country.
"In the north they were very sensitive about us being there."
Despite having made the necessary arrangements with the Namibian Directorate of Civil Aviation based in Windhoek, the Ondangwa officials "claimed they didn't know about us and that we'd entered the country illegally," he said.
The 12 pilots leading 'The Gaggle', as the group was known, spent Saturday night in jail. "Sharon and the passengers who were left outside started working on getting us a lawyer and got us released the next morning," Larry said.
Only after filing a High Court interdict were they released from jail around 5am on Sunday.
"We thought that would be the end of it, but then it carried on for another four or five days after that, trying to get permission for us to fly out," Larry explained.
While their aircraft were impounded the South Africans weren't allowed access to their possessions in the planes, Larry said.
Group spokesperson Ron Weissenberg also said they were "encouraged to pay admission of guilt fines on an indeterminate charge and section of the Namibian aviation law" to get their planes back.
"We tried to negotiate with them to let us carry on with our trip, but they wouldn't allow it – there was only one option: to leave Namibia," Larry said.
Not only this, but they had to leave via a specific route through Windhoek and Keetmanshoop, the long distances making it difficult for the smaller, slower-flying aircraft to refuel.
The group is now considering taking legal action and hope to recover some of the R100 000 lost on irredeemable expenses like accommodation.
Weissenberg said they are also considering reporting the Namibian government to the UN Economic and Social Council under which the International Civil Aviation Organisation and international aviation treaties are administered.
The other two flying pairs from Grahamstown, Matthys and Tommy Bosch; and Ron and Loraine Weissenberg, returned to the province later on Saturday afternoon and are all "safe and sound," Ron said.
