Two SA pilots killed in Tanzania

Des Werner and Werner Froneman were killed on Saturday after making a distress signal from their aircraft while on their way back to South Africa.

The two men, both project directors from non-profit organisation U-Dream Global, were accompanying teenagers on an excursion from Cape to Cairo in a self-assembled Sling-4 aircraft.

"The support plane had to land in Tanzania because the problems persisted and it was at that particular moment that tragedy struck," says Simon Manda, spokesperson for U-Dream Global.

Manda says it is unclear what caused the plane to crash but details the moments leading to the tragedy:

He adds that the organisation has received support from officials following the incident.

"The aviation sector in Africa has been amazing, especially in the eight countries that we visited. The Department of International Relations, we are in touch right now with the embassy staff in Tanzania trying to work out the paper work to get repatriation of the bodies," says Manda.

"I know beside this tragedy things will continue happening, things will continue working forward for the vision that we had for the challenge."

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation says it has activated its consular services to support affected families.

"We have now activated our consular services to make contact with the family and render consular services accordingly," says the department's spokesperson Clayson Monyela.