Among the South Africans being held are three relatives of Vodacom’s CEO and two medical doctors‚ according to the organisation. The group were taken into captivity on July 10, South African aid organization Gift of the Givers said on its Facebook page. “It was only on Sunday‚ 48 hours later‚ when the tour operator realised that something was amiss and made the trip to Erdos‚ that the first information on the detained citizens came to light‚” he said.
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The other nine members of the tour group were being held without charge in a detention centre and were being accused of watching propaganda videos.
The Foreign Office (FCO) was “seeking further clarification” on why the tourists were detained, the BBC quoted a FCO spokesman as saying.
It said 11 out of the 20 had been released but will remain in detention without being charged until flights out of China can be booked for them.
Ramaphosa is visiting China from July 13 to 17 at the invitation of Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao. Among those detained is Hoosain Ismail Jacobs, a South African former member of the ANC’s armed wing which fought apartheid who is in his 60s.
These include family members of Vodafone CEO Shameel Joosub.
Joosub said the arrests were in no way linked to Vodacom.
The humanitarian organisation said the South Africans had been arrested without charge in China, having been part of a 20-strong tour group detained by Chinese officials last week.
“China is ready to strengthen political trust and win-win cooperation with South Africa, enhance coordination in global and regional affairs, and work with other African countries to set an example for South-South cooperation”, Li said.
“The families thank the South African government for their unwavering support and call upon the Chinese government to release the detainees immediately‚” Gift of the Givers said.
China has in recent years adopted a hard line against apparent Islamic jihadists.
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LONDON Eleven Britons, including two with dual British-South African nationality, have been arrested in northern China, the Foreign Office said on Tuesday.
