A Political Firestorm as Unannounced Refugee Flights Rattle South Africa

South Africa’s governing party has been thrown into a storm of anxiety, confusion, and outrage after two flights carrying refugees from Palestine landed in the country, without the knowledge of the nation’s intelligence services.

Inside last weekend’s ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting, the mood was tense. Members were stunned that such a significant movement of people could unfold under the government’s nose, with one insider describing the atmosphere as “complete disbelief.”

And with the G20 Summit now just days away, the timing couldn’t be worse.

“How Did a Plane Full of People Just Arrive Here?”, NEC Wants Answers

According to NEC members who were present, the shock wasn’t about the arrival of Palestinians themselves, South Africa has long expressed solidarity with the Palestinian struggle, but about the intelligence vacuum surrounding their entry.

Two flights arrived, one just days ago.
Passengers reportedly didn’t know their destination.
Some said they paid around R30,000 for the journey.
And the intelligence services?
They apparently knew nothing.

One NEC source didn’t mince words:

“A plane filled with people just landed in our country, and they know nothing about it. How can that be? This is not the first time. It happened before, with groups from Palestine and even Ukraine. It means it can happen again.”

The committee is now pushing for both domestic and foreign intelligence branches to be investigated, calling the situation a serious security breach.

Public Reaction: Concern, Outrage, and a Sense of Vulnerability

On social media, South Africans expressed a mix of empathy for refugees and frustration with the government’s handling of the situation.

On X, posts ranged from:

• “We support Palestinians but we can’t have unknown flights landing here unchecked.”
  to

• “What if this was a trafficking operation? How many other flights go unnoticed?”

Some users pointed to the approaching G20 Summit, warning that such lapses could scare off international delegations. Others drew parallels to previous reports of illegal training camps, undocumented operatives, and porous border control.

The common feeling?
If intelligence didn’t catch this, what else are we missing?

@middleeasteyeSpeaking to MEE Live about recent evacuation flights from Gaza to South Africa, academic and activist Naeem Jeenah said that the passengers on the two planes were largely professionals, including doctors, teachers and academics. He argued that the selection of such skilled individuals for removal could have long-term consequences for Gaza’s ability to rebuild essential institutions. Watch the full MEE Live show on Middle East Eye’s YouTube channel.

♬ original sound – Middle East Eye

A Bigger Problem: South Africa’s Long-Strained Intelligence Network

While the ANC may be shocked, analysts say this is not surprising.

South Africa’s intelligence services have been weakened for years, plagued by political interference, budget constraints, cadre deployments, and what insiders call “institutional decay.” The 2018 High-Level Review Panel on intelligence flagged similar concerns, warning that critical oversight mechanisms were not functioning as they should.

Political analyst Thabani Khumalo summed up the public anxiety:

“We do not feel safe. Visitors coming for the G20 will not feel safe. How many people are roaming the streets that are unknown? Even members of the defence force have raised concerns that things are not going well.”

With the G20 Social Summit taking place at Nasrec within days, the optics are troubling.

Lamola Warns of a Larger Agenda Behind the Flights

International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola broke his silence, saying the flights appear to be part of a broader, orchestrated effort to push Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank.

“This is a clear agenda to cleanse Palestinians. The flights are being sent to multiple countries, not only South Africa.”

The Palestinian embassy in Pretoria later confirmed that the group left Israel’s Ramon Airport, passed through Nairobi, and landed in South Africa without prior coordination.

The embassy also revealed that refugees were deceived by an unregistered organisation that charged families money and facilitated their travel in an “irregular and irresponsible” manner.

This suggests a mix of human exploitation, political manipulation, and international miscommunication all landing squarely on South Africa’s doorstep.

What Happens Next? Possible Visa Changes and Stricter Controls

Within the NEC, there’s growing support for tightening visa regulations for travellers from conflict regions including both Palestine and Israel.

NEC members fear the current system is too porous, allowing unknown individuals to slip through without proper vetting.

One source said:

“We welcome refugees. That is who we are as South Africans. But we have to know who is in the country.”

This reflects the balancing act the ANC now faces:
remaining a champion of humanitarian solidarity while restoring trust in the nation’s security systems.

A Crisis That Exposes a Much Bigger Problem

At its core, this saga is not about Palestinians fleeing a humanitarian catastrophe. South Africans remain deeply sympathetic to their plight.

The issue is this:
How did a large-scale movement of people bypass every level of intelligence?
Who facilitated it?
And could the same gaps be exploited for something far more dangerous?

With the ANC demanding a full investigation and public trust wavering, this incident may finally force the government to confront the long-ignored cracks in its security infrastructure.

Because if planes can land without clearance, the real question becomes:
Who else is entering the country unnoticed?