By Umamah Bakharia

According to recent known reports, 28 South African students are trapped in Ukraine following the Russian invasion, have been taken to safety.

Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s (Dirco) spokesperson Clayson Monyela tweeted that 15 found refuge in Hungary and seven in Poland.

Civil Society groups and NGOs have pulled out all the stops to assists South Africans stuck in Ukraine.

Radio Islam speaks to the founder of the civil society movement ‘We are South Africans’ and ‘The People of South Africa Foundation’, Gilbert Martin on what they are doing to assist South Africans stuck in Ukraine.

“[The situation in Ukraine] is another tragedy in humanity, that I think could have been avoided by diplomacy,” says Martin.

According to Martin, students that have found themselves stranded in Ukraine are medical students who were supposed to be writing their final exams in the coming months but are now faced with unfortunate circumstances.

“We are working with a lot of other diplomats from foreign countries to try and assist those children to continue their studies once this mess is over,” says Martin.

Contrary to what has been portrayed on social media, Martin says the people of Europe have been helpful to South African students however, he says that there has been a case of racial discrimination at a border in Ukraine.

“It was a calculated stupid mistake and very humiliating for the people that had to endure that as well,” says Martin.

DIRCO confirmed that 3 South African students arrived in Johannesburg this morning from Ukraine.