My daughter Sophie and I have just returned from a holiday in Greece and Holland.
On leaving Cape Town International Airport, the passport control official told me that my documents were not right, having been certified at our local Police Station. He said that needed to be done at Home Affairs. I am not sure whether that is true.
On leaving Athens for a stay of 10 days in Amsterdam (i.e. not travelling back to South Africa), the check-in desk asked to see all the documents, telling us that the SA government had asked them to do this. They would not allow us to fly if we did not produce them. I thought these documents were only needed to exit and enter South Africa.
On leaving Holland (via Paris) to return home, the plane was delayed by an hour as a lone French official checked all the documents again (they had done so already at the check-in desk). We saw two parties being told that they could not fly (despite having left SA with the same documents) unless they could get relevant documents emailed immediately, which they could not practically do, as it was 11pm. The departure lounge was chaotic. Many people who had been in lounges and restaurants arrived late at the gate, and then tried to board, only to have to go back and get security stickers on their children’s boarding passes. I am not sure if delays were also caused by baggage having to be unloaded from those refused boarding.
In all, the new rules have created chaos, extra work for other airlines, flight delays and confusion. There has to be a better way.
Lindy Truswell
