Cape Town – Twelve South African pilots on a trip to raise awareness for cancer were arrested in Namibia at the weekend, it was reported on Monday.

The pilots were arrested at Ondangwa Airport on Saturday, apparently because their flight documents were not in order, the Cape Times reported.

They were released early on Sunday morning after a court found their arrest to be unlawful.

However, police refused to allow them to leave the country in their light aircraft, which had been “quarantined” until their flight papers were rectified.

According to the newspaper, the group of 20 left South Africa on 27 April on a 16-day flight trip across Botswana and Namibia.

The trip was partly a holiday and partly to raise awareness and fund for the Cancer Association of SA, which endorsed the trip.

“It’s a complete mess. We still have no permission to fly and may not fly until there is some sort of communication between the police and the Civil Aviation Authority,” trip organiser Larry McGillewie told the Cape Times.

The pilots’ lawyer, Farieda Kishi, said there had been a “procedural error” when the pilots were issued with a certificate of competency, but not a permit for landing.

– SAPA