Covid 19 coronavirus: Fundraising page started for Whanganui couple stranded in South Africa

Abigail Marthinusen (L) and Irene Wolmarans have passed 130 days in level four lockdown in South Africa. Photo / Supplied

The Whanganui couple stranded in South Africa since the start of March because of Covid-19 remain unsure when they will be able to return home.

Irene Wolmarans and Abigail Marthinusen left New Zealand for a two-week holiday in their native South Africa at the start of March but five months later remain in Cape Town as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to ravage large parts of the world.

Wolmarans and Marthinusen are New Zealand work visa holders, which put them in "a bit of a forgotten, grey area" when the New Zealand borders closed to all but residents and citizens.

New Zealand has been the primary place of residence for the couple since 2016.

Wolmarans' sister, Ananda De Koning, has started a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the couple, in a bid to make sure they have "something to come back to" when they eventually return to Whanganui.

"This has impacted the whole family greatly, and it breaks my heart how much I miss them," De Koning said.

"It's terrible to go to their house and everything is still there, left in limbo.

"I can't believe it's been five months already, it's just surreal."

De Koning said that because the couple had remained in South Africa for so long it was getting to the point where "things were getting really tough" financially.

"Things are pretty dire over there, and the industry that they're in, hospitality, is really struggling," she said.

"We just want to find a way to help make ends meet for them, because they have a life to maintain in South Africa, as well as rent, bills and tax to pay in New Zealand."

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

Wolmarans said the mood in South Africa had "escalated from mild panic to utter chaos" and that the couple missed the tranquillity of "little old Whanganui".

"The recovery rates here are looking well, but we're now on day 131 of our nationwide lockdown, which has almost completely collapsed the South African economy," Wolmarans said.

"We've heard news from the [New Zealand] Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi that our plight hasn't been forgotten and that our issues are 'top of mind' with Cabinet, so we are hoping that it will bring relief or even just a timeline on when we will be able to come home."

Wolmarans said that although she agreed with the Government's decision to keep borders closed, the couple had been forced to sacrifice "a number of things in our collective effort to ensure the safety of the team of 5 million".

"Every bit [of the fundraiser] that we have extra will be donated to other charities to pay it forward and keep the spirit of 'ubuntu' alive in well in a struggling society.

"Ubuntu is a Xhosa phrase captioned by a common view here in South Africa, which translates to 'a quality that includes the essential human virtues: compassion and humanity' and that we are all, despite our differences, inherently connected'.

"I think that's beautiful, especially in a time where there is so little good news and common understanding left between people."

To donate to Ananda De Koning's GoFundMe page, go to

https://www.gofundme.com/f/hope-for-the-hayes039s