‘SA must intervene, people are being killed in Ukraine’

Vutlhlari Mtonga's eyes lit up as she cast them on her older sister in the arrivals hall at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday.

As the electronic door opened, the two ran towards each other and embraced for a long time before Mtonga's tears started flowing. This is the moment that Mtonga has been longing for when she left war-torn Ukraine under Russian bombardment last week.

Mtonga was among the 10 South African students who arrived from France after they had escaped the military invasion of Ukraine by its powerful neighbour.

More students are expected to arrive in the coming days, said department of international relations & cooperation.  

Mtonga and other students had escaped Ukraine through Hungary border before finding their way to France. 

There were scenes of excitement, tears of joy and colourful balloons and disbelief as their families and media welcomed them at the airport just before noon on Thursday.

Mtonga, who had been studying medicine in Ukraine, was welcomed by her sister Mikateko and cousin Tinyiko Malubana. She said she was still traumatised by her ordeal

“We got ourselves to the border. Mr Andre [Groenewald, South African ambassador to Ukraine] was a great help. There was a lot of bombing happening in the area where we were before we got to the border. I do not want to talk about that right now. I am still traumatised by the whole experience... that trauma.

“Those are not the questions I am interested in. People are being killed. People are bombed and targeted. I am not interested in answering questions about my trauma,” stressed Mtonga.

“We need to realise as SA that this is genocide.”

Mtonga however admitted she was excited to be back home. She urged the government of SA to intervene in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Government should push for peace in the land of Ukraine especially seeing that we are members of Brics and have a strong alliance with Russia. We should bring peace in that land.”

Mtonga’s cousin Malubana said the family was happy for her safe return home.

“It was overwhelming for us waiting for her. We have been praying and we thank God she is back,” said Malubana.

Most students avoided the media at the airport and walked away with clear intention that they were not keen on being interviewed. 

International relations spokesperson Clayson Monyela said the department will be looking at ways to provide psychological help for the students.

“These are young people. They are traumatised. They were in a war zone. Some of them were deliberately avoiding cameras. They saw your cameras and decided to hide, mix with the crowd and get out of the airport. All they want is to be reunited with their families and loved ones,” Monyela said.

“Some of them have not been sleeping well given the number of bombs that were raining on them. They saw war, raw as it is and dead bodies lying around them. They did not know whether they will see the next day.”

Monyela said they have been no reported fatalities of South Africans in Ukraine.