Travellers bound for an Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia were left stranded at Cape Town International Airport in December.
According to certain travellers and their companions, New Age Travel, the implicated travel agency, allegedly failed to cover the expenses of their flights, even though the travellers had already paid more than R50,000 for their Umrah packages.
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As reported by News24, the incident has triggered a public outcry on social media, prompting Muslim organisations and members of parliament to advocate for increased awareness regarding the credibility of travel agencies.
Allegations have also surfaced against Shahied Davids, the owner of New Age Travel, accusing him of not reimbursing individuals for previous unsuccessful trips to Saudi Arabia.
In response, Davids denies any wrongdoing and insists that affected travellers will receive refunds for their trips by the end of January.
A 55-year-old Grassy Park resident said that she had plans to embark on a journey to Saudi Arabia to visit the holy cities of Makkah and Medina on 27 December. The woman, who opted to remain anonymous, shared with News24 that she had paid a sum exceeding R50,000 for herself and her granddaughter.
On the day before their scheduled departure, she received a call from the travel agency owner, Davids, informing her that he was still awaiting the issuance of the airline tickets. On the day of their intended travel, she contacted Davids, who advised her to proceed to the airport. Upon reaching the airport, she saw people gathered in groups, only to discover that their tickets had never been issued.
‘I saw people worrying and arguing with each other, not knowing what was happening,’ she said.
Subsequently, she reported the incident by filing a case at a local police station.
‘I was truly taken aback and devastated. It felt like my heart shattered. Some elderly individuals had been saving for years by selling various items to accumulate enough money for the journey… I couldn’t find peace that night,’ she expressed.
Having been recommended to New Age Travel by a family that praised the agency’s ‘affordable’ services, she had previously booked two trips with Davids in 2019 and 2022 without encountering any booking issues. Her concerns arose on 27 December when Davids failed to send the airline tickets as he typically did a week before the scheduled departure.
Despite multiple attempts, she has been unable to contact Davids since the airport incident, leading her to lose faith in the reliability of his travel agency.
Police are now investigating attempted theft cases related to the travellers who ended up stranded at Cape Town International Airport in December and had used the services of New Age Travel.
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