HE DIDN’T need any convincing to fly into what’s become known as the heart of the deadly Covid-19 outbreak. The moment he received the call he knew it was something he needed to do for his country.
In fact, he’d do it again in a heartbeat even though he’s now in isolation for 21 days to ensure he hasn’t contracted the virus that’s killed thousands of people around the globe.
We’re chatting to SAA chief pilot Vusi Khumalo a day after he landed the plane bringing 114 South Africans back from Wuhan, China. The 54-year-old has joined the repatriated citizens at The Ranch Resort in Limpopo but he’s in high spirits as he tells us about the flight that gripped the nation.
He can’t take all the credit, he says, modest to a fault. “I know that people see my face but there were a lot of people involved in this mission. It was a team effort.”
He and his team did lots of research beforehand because they were told they might have to fly to China to retrieve their countrymen, he says.
So when President Cyril Ramaphosa made the decision the South Africans in Wuhan would be brought home, Vusi was ready.
“I said, ‘Let’s do all we can to help the president keep his promise to the people of South Africa’,” he says.
He was at home in Cape Town with his wife and kids when he got the call to pilot the plane. Although it was a military operation, the air force doesn’t have an aircraft that’s big enough so they had to rely on an SAA Airbus A340600 manned by Vusi and his crew.
Denne historien er fra 26 March 2020-utgaven av Drum English.
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Denne historien er fra 26 March 2020-utgaven av Drum English.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Homegrown Heroes
Drum speaks to two volunteers in the Covid-19 vaccine trial and the professor heading the team in Africa
The Big Clean Up
Whenever a Covid-19 case is confirmed at a shop, they call in the deep-cleaners. We find out exactly how they disinfect stores and supermarkets
I'm Back & Better!
Babes Wodumo shares what she’s been up to in lockdown – and there’s some new music on the horizon
Not An Easy Ride
Taxi commuters and industry players tell DRUM what’s driving them to defy lockdown rules
Mam' Mary Bows Out
Iconic actress Mary Twala is fondly remembered by friends and family for her humour and talent
‘They Lived For Each Other'
This Cape Town teen’s parents died from Covid-19 on the same day. Now she’s alone and battling the virus too
Stranger Than Fiction
For actor Mangaliso Ngema and his daughter Khosi Ngema, her role in Blood & Water was like watching their family’s real-life story unfold
I Was Raped By A Pastor
His accusations against a well-known man of the cloth turned an Eastern Cape man’s life into turmoil but now more victims have spoken out
My Fight With Life And Death
More Covid-19 patients, too few beds and staff, constant sanitising and personal fears – a Western Cape doctor shares her experience
I AM ENOUGH
Ten years after being set alight, Thembi Maphanga is living life to the fullest
