Covid-19: 29 musicians and artists stranded in Turkey are back home

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation have managed to coordinate the repatriation of 29 young musicians and artists stranded in Turkey.

The group was meant to return home when flights were grounded due to the coronavirus pandemic. These artists are said to be from disadvantaged backgrounds and were unable to afford the airfare on a Turkish Air flight to South Africa on May 22.

The flight was arranged by the Turkish government to airlift its nationals stranded in South Africa and neighbouring countries.

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The 29 artists were part of a group of 93 South Africans granted approval to board the flight to South Africa. They arrived last night (May 22) and were taken to a government facility for mandatory quarantine.

“As government, we are honoured to have played a role in showing care to our own. We are happy that our young practitioners are back on home soil and will soon be reunited with their families,” said a department spokesman.

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