Departing Lubumbashi

It was a feat in crisis management and organisation, firstly receiving my passport back after nine weeks of inept handling of my work visa application. After so many delays I was moving again so I was glad to just be mobile, so I have no complaints at all - none whatsoever.

I missed multiple international flights and had to take a domestic flights without my passport, l was issued a letter of travel from the immigration department allowing me to get as far as Lubumbashi where my passport would be returned to me.

How can I describe Lubumbashi International Airport? Mayhem - it is certainly that; disorganised - absolutely. There was pushing, shoving and line jumping but all the touts, I was caught up trying to get to the check-in counter - if you could call it that.

There was a computer but it couldn't enter my frequent flier details. There were no electronic scales or conveyor belt taking checked-in luggage to a secure area. The tout took my bags and shoved them in the corner with all the other bags.

After I was handed by luggage tags, I wandered over to the corner and attached my luggage tags. Needless to say, this was not a secure area and there was no security personnel attached. This is not a secure airport, this has international flights operating and there is no system, it is not difficult to slip unsecured items on this aircraft.