A father from Centurion says he is living every parent’s worst nightmare, as his wife and five-year-old daughter remain stranded in Iran amid ongoing conflict.
The man, who requested anonymity, told reporters he has been struggling to secure their safe return, citing delays and difficulties with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). He initially approached South Africa’s diplomatic mission in Iran earlier this year to renew his daughter’s passport, a crucial document for travel home.
“I've contacted all the relevant authorities for assistance, and it seems nobody wants to help. It seems nobody is interested, so the only option I have is to go there myself and be with my family,” he said.
He described a particularly distressing phone call with a South African official in Iran, which left him stunned and increasingly worried about his family’s safety.
“This has actually made me feel absolutely sick because there's nothing I can do for my family. The borders are closed. My five-year-old and the mother are stuck there,” he said. “The other day it almost broke me down. My daughter said: ‘Daddy, are you also having an earthquake?’ And I didn't even know how to respond.”
The father voiced concerns over worsening conditions, including shortages of food and medicine, and fears for his daughter’s wellbeing if she becomes ill. “I was thinking to myself. They bombed the hospital. What if my daughter gets sick? It is very concerning. I cannot put it into words,” he said.
He has called on the South African government to take urgent action. “My appeal to them is to take the matter seriously and stop fooling the nation into thinking you're assisting. We basically have to beg DIRCO and officials to assist us,” he said.
DIRCO, however, maintains that it is constrained. Spokesperson Clayson Monyela said, “As we speak, there is no travel document in our system for this five-year-old. We understand why the father is anxious, because the safety of his wife and daughter is at stake. But there's nothing we can do. We cannot process an application that does not exist.”
The department also acknowledged issues with the manner in which an official delivered information. “When I spoke to the official in question, he admitted that perhaps the manner in which he delivered the message, the tone, was wrong. While what he may have been articulating was true, the delivery was wrong,” Monyela said.
With borders closed and the conflict escalating, the father says time is running out, leaving him desperate for a solution to bring his family home safely.