Two weeks ago, Makida Kumalo flew from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with only three suitcases, eager to expand her Airbnb management company. She never imagined she would be thrust into the chaos of air strikes. 

 The United States and Israel led joint strikes on Iran on Saturday. Iran retaliated by launching attacks on the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. According to reports by the BBC, the counterstrikes resulted in damage to the Dubai International Airport and several luxury hotels. 

Flights in and out of airports in Dubai, Tel Aviv, Doha and other international hubs in the region have been suspended. 

The BBC also reported that one person was killed in Abu Dhabi and another death was reported in Kuwait, while dozens of people have been injured. 

Air strike witnessed 

Kumalo (24), who is from Durban, was in her apartment in Dubai when the air strike occurred. 

 “I thought it was a big car crash. I didn’t really pay attention to it until I went through social media and saw exactly what had happened,” says Kumalo. 

The gravity of the situation hit home later that night; while out for dinner, she saw a missile streak across the sky before striking Palm Jumeirah. 

 Kumalo has been left confused and anxious, ‘especially when I hear big sounds’. “I am just also feeling unsure of what the next day would look like,” says Kumalo. 

 She adds that her biggest concern is that if the situation escalates, she and other South Africans will not be able to flee the country. 

Feeling of hopelessness 

 “I have been in contact with other South Africans. They feel hopeless and also anxious; we still don’t know what might come next. In our country, we have been prepared to have load-shedding, water shortages, floods, tornadoes, looting and a lack of food, but we haven’t been mentally and physically prepared for a war with bombs,” says Kumalo. 

 Support for other South Africans 

Spreading the spirit of ubuntu, Kumalo has opened her home to South Africans who may be stranded. 

She says that in difficult times, family and community support are crucial. Coming from a close-knit family herself, she understands that many South Africans in the UAE may be far from loved ones, so opening her home felt like the least she could do. 
 

“Being able to comfort each other, support each other, and just know that even during the times of missiles flying across the city, we are all together and we are all safe together – that is ubuntu,” adds Kumalo. 

In a Pretoria Rekord article published this afternoon, South Africans caught in the Middle East conflict shared their experiences.

One of these is Melanie van der Linde, who is in Dubai with her family. She described the past few days as tense and unsettling, with missile interceptions lighting up the night sky. 

Other South Africans wrote about their experiences on the George Herald Facebook page. 

Maricelle Fourie said it had been a rough 36 hours in Bahrain.

“I live 4km from the airport that was targeted this morning. I’ve been here for almost eight years and Bahrain has become my second home. I’ve been sheltering in place. Yesterday was filled with so many missile interceptions that I’ve lost count. I slept in my laundry room last night, as it is the only room without windows. We keep getting alerts on our phones and the air raid sirens go off every so often,” she says. 

Panic buying 

Fourie added that people have been panic buying supplies, especially drinking water. However, she said  
there are also some locals ‘who are going about their lives as if nothing is going on – walking their dogs, going for jogs and going to the mosques for Ramadan prayers’. “Today is eerily quiet. But we continue to pray for peace, not just in Bahrain, but the entire region,” she added. 

‘Wait, pray and see’ 

Justine Jeffery Plaatjies said she works in Qatar and described what she is going through as ‘scary’. 

“Just praying that this will stop soon. We can hear everything and the mobile alerts are so terrifying, but one thing I must say, the way Qatar is handling this is amazing. The way they keep everyone updated with mobile alerts and stopping every missile so far is on another level,” added Plaatjies. 

Wilhelm Louw said he has seen some of the intercepted missiles being shot down while on his balcony.  
“I’m safe and thankful for it. But the airport is 3km away and Jebel Ali, where the US are refuelling their ships, is about 10km away. We’re getting government emergency messages to shelter in place,” he says. 

Peaceful resolution 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to act in a manner consistent with international law, international humanitarian law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. 

“We urge the international community, including multilateral institutions and regional partners, to redouble efforts aimed at promoting mediation and peaceful resolution. As a nation that has emerged from conflict through dialogue and reconciliation, South Africa remains steadfast in its belief that peace is not only possible, but imperative for the shared future of the Middle East and the world.” 

South Africans urged to take responsibility for their own safety 

 The Citizen reported that the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) has called on all South African citizens in the Middle East to contact the embassies accredited to their countries of residence to ensure they are registered and that their whereabouts are known. 

Dirco cautioned that the government’s ability to assist may be constrained, depending on where citizens are located. 

“South Africa’s support in these countries could be limited, and it could be assumed that no face-to-face consular assistance will be possible in an emergency,” said the department in a statement. 

In light of this, Dirco urged SA nationals to take responsibility for their own safety.  
“Citizens are further encouraged to assess their own safety and security and act accordingly,” read the statement. 

For assistance call 

• Qatar: +974-5583-2762 | dirco.gov.za/doha 
• Iran: +98-912-230-8968 | southafricanembassy.ir 
• UAE (Dubai): +971-50-558-1235 | dirco.gov.za/dubai 
• Abu Dhabi: +971-50-622-4291 or +971-50-445-9499 | dirco.gov.za/abudhabi 
• Kuwait: +965-9720-0172 | +965-9979-4483 | +965-9916-7899 | dirco.gov.za/kuwait 
• Saudi Arabia – Riyadh (also covering Yemen, Bahrain and Oman): +966-55-812-2215 | dirco.gov.za/riyadh 
• Saudi Arabia – Jeddah: +966-56-244-5376 | dirco.gov.za/jeddah 
• Jordan: +962-79-552-0245 | dirco.gov.za/jordan 
• Syria (also covering Iraq): +963-966-44-4405 | dirco.gov.za/syria 
• Palestine (also covering Israel): +972-053-2553-113 | dirco.gov.za/palestine 
Citizens can also contact Dirco’s helpline in Pretoria directly at +27 12 351 1000 or email CICC@dirco.gov.za. 

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