Families of 14 South Africans being ‘held against their will’ in Thailand call for Dirco intervention

A group of 14 South African IT specialists are reportedly being held against their will in Thailand, prompting concerns for their safety and well-being. The workers traveled to Thailand late last year after being offered employment, but families say conditions have deteriorated significantly.

South Africans Stranded in Thailand

Sipho Mzolo, the father of one of the workers, Siphiwe Mthombeni, said the group accepted IT jobs in Thailand following a recommendation from a manager at their previous workplace in South Africa.

According to Mzolo, the initial months were uneventful, but communication became increasingly difficult. “My son left last year after a manager at his workplace recommended they go work for an IT company in Thailand. The first three to four months were fine, but after that, we could not get him on the phone,” he stated.

Mthombeni was able to contact his father on Friday night, detailing worsening conditions. He reported that the promised payments have not been received, living conditions are unhygienic, and food is sometimes limited to once a day.

“He said they never received the money they were promised. The place where they are staying is unhygienic, and sometimes they only get food once a day,” Mzolo said. “They [their employers] have taken their phones and passports, but fortunately, they managed to hide one phone.”

Mzolo expressed his anxiety regarding his son’s safety and the lack of information about the company employing him. “What is stressing me is that I don’t have enough details about the company he is working for. I am waiting for him to call again to get as much information as possible. When he called yesterday [Friday], I was relieved that he was at least alive,” he said.

The families of the stranded workers have appealed to the department of international relations and co-operation (Dirco) for assistance in securing their return to South Africa.

Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for the minister of international relations and co-operation, confirmed that the department recently received information regarding the situation. “We are working to verify the information to assess the best way forward,” he said.