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- President Cyril Ramaphosa visited a railway station near Bucha where 458 civilians were killed in the initial stages of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- Ramaphosa, along with other African leaders, is on a peace mission, seeking ways to end the war.
- Ramaphosa's spokesperson said the trip was going ahead even though Polish authorities effectively impounded a South African charter aircraft carrying some of Ramaphosa's security personnel.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited a railway station near Bucha in Ukraine - an area where Russian forces killed hundreds of civilians amid the war between the two countries.
Ramaphosa and other African leaders are on a peace mission in which they are seeking ways to end the war.
He left Poland for Kyiv on Thursday by train and is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, several members of his security detail are still stranded on a plane in Poland, along with airline staff and journalists, after Polish authorities refused to allow them to disembark. It is understood that he has his close security detail with him.
The plane was eventually cleared for departure on Friday.
On Saturday, he is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said on Friday morning that the peace mission was proceeding well and as planned.
"The president arrived safely in Kyiv by train along with other heads of state and the government, and he remains safe. The impasse with the charter flight in Poland is being addressed by our officials and their Polish counterparts," he said.
News24 is live in Poland: Standoff in Warsaw: Security plane still stranded as Poland refuses SA
Magwenya added peace mission marks the first time Africa has united to find a peaceful resolution to a conflict outside the continent "with a group of heads of state and government [officials] travelling together, representing Africa, which has been severely impacted by the war in Ukraine".
Magwenya said the treatment received by members of the Presidential Protection Service and South African journalists was " very unfortunate and deeply regrettable".
"Our officials remain engaged with their Polish counterparts in trying to resolve the situation," he added.
On Friday, Ramaphosa arrived at the Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints in Bucha, where he will be briefed ahead of their visit to a mass grave where the 458 civilians were buried.
News24 previously reported that General Wally Rhoode, head of the Presidential Protection Service, accused Polish authorities of "sabotage" and "racism" on Thursday evening.
He held an impromptu press conference on the steps of the plane, detailing Poland's efforts to frustrate the South Africans' movements.
While officials from the South African embassy in Warsaw were trying to negotiate with Polish police and customs, Rhoode explained how the Poles repeatedly demanded new documents and different permits and often refused to speak English.
