Johannesburg - South African journalist Angela Quintal and her colleague Muthoki Mumo are free to leave Tanzania after they were given their passports back following their brief arrest and release.
Quintal, Committee to Protect Journalist's (CPJ) Africa programme coordinator, and Mumo, CPJ's sub-Saharan Africa representative, were arrested on Wednesday night at their hotel in Dar es Salaam.
They were released in the early hours of Thursday morning but not handed back their passports.
Spokesperson Ndivhuwo Mabaya said SA's high commissioner in Tanzania Thami Mseleku had informed Minister of International Relations Lindiwe Sisulu of the return of Quintal and Mumo's passports.
"Mseleku had been instructed by Sisulu to gather all facts concerning their detention and report to Pretoria by the end of the day, today.
"Following meetings with the Tanzanian authorities this morning, the high commissioner has indicated that the two journalists are now free to leave Tanzania."
Sisulu thanked Mseleku, the Dirco 24-hour call centre team, as well as diplomats from Kenya and Tanzania for resolving the matter speedily.
“We are happy that this matter has been resolved. The two journalists have their passports and they can travel today,” Sisulu said.