‘We saw limbs and bodies while fleeing Gaza’: SA woman after landing

A South African woman was in Gaza to prepare for her son’s wedding when they suddenly had to evacuate their building because of threats of looming attacks by the Israeli army.

Dr Zaakirah Chotia, who lived in Gaza and is a lecturer, said she had returned to Palestine to help prepare for her son’s wedding, which was meant to take place this Friday.

“I was preparing for his fiancé — the garments and preparing the kitchen, as a mom would do for her son.”

Living on the seventh floor, she said one day she noticed seven snipers above them and 11 military tanks in front of the building.

“There were five bombings that came from the warships and they were saying we must get out because they were going to attack at any moment. I did not panic and just told my children to come with me.”

After grabbing a few essentials, Chotia and her children, aged 23, 21 and one in matric, started making their way out. However, she said, bullets started coming from a submarine, and she watched as the buildings next to where she was staying started to collapse.

“We saw three buildings collapse. One at the back, at the side and on the other side. The Earth shook. It felt like an earthquake. However, the moment we moved to the south, they destroyed the building [we had come from] and made it rubble. We knew we were homeless. The jacuzzi, the gold manufacturing business downstairs was all rubble. The bride’s garments are now gone too.”

Her safety mission included witnessing a woman get shot three times, apparently by the Israeli Defence Force, coming across human limbs and using a donkey cart to get to safety.

Chotia is one of the 19 South Africans successfully evacuated from Gaza amid the ongoing attack by the Israeli army and Hamas.

we haven’t slept for 72 hours - but we haven’t slept for two months. We have stories to share. What is happening there is a genocide. I have lost my home and have been displaced with my family three times.

—  Dr Haidar Eid, SA-Palestinian literature professor

She said she was thankful to President Cyril Ramaphosa for applying pressure on the Palestinians.

“I think the SA embassy has really put pressure on them and really came out as superstars by making them understand that this apartheid is enough. All thanks to President Ramaphosa for making sure he got the South Africans he promised he would get out.”

The group of 19 South Africans landed at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday afternoon after efforts to flee the military guarding Gaza.

Among them was Dr Haidar Eid, a South African-Palestinian literature professor who had previously spoken to TimesLIVE while trapped in Gaza.

He said he and his family were displaced three times before coming to South Africa.

“I was about to say that we haven’t slept for 72 hours — but we haven’t slept for two months. We have stories to share. What is happening there is a genocide. I have lost my home and have been displaced with my family three times. We come to SA with heavy hearts because we are leaving more than 2-million people exposed to the wrath of apartheid Israel,” he said.

Rosemary Tod and a large group of her family arrived at the airport two hours earlier than the scheduled arrival of the flight carrying their family members who had fled Gaza. 

Among those they were waiting for were a mother and father and their four children who had moved to Palestine six years ago due to their business not doing well in South Africa.

“It is so nice to see them come back home after such a long time. The wait has been quite fraught but we give thanks to God because it is only by a miracle that they were able to come back. Since October 7, they have been trying to come through and, finally, their names came up and that’s why they were able to travel,” she said.

Department of international relations & co-operation (Dirco) director-general Zane Dango said several family members had been left behind in Gaza. 

“We know one or two of you have loved ones who didn't come through and we will make sure they do. We have their names and we will work within our ability to make them come back safely as well,” he said.