Kidnapped South African paramedic Gerco van Deventer has been released by Al Qaeda.
Delivering the great news was Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman.
“Gift of the Givers announces the unconditional release of Gerco van Deventer, taken in Libya on Friday, 3 November 2017, sold to JNIM (Al-Qaeda) in Mali in 2018 and finally released unconditionally on Saturday after a period of six years and one month, making him the longest held South African hostage in captivity.”
Sooliman said their organisation got involved in 2018 at the request of van Deventer.
“The initial request was US $3million (R55,404,120), and over a period of time we negotiated the amount down to US $500,000 (R9,234,020).
“The family could not afford the ransom, there was no benefactor, the company that Gerco had just commenced work for could not assist.”
Sooliman added that while Gift of the Givers does not pay ransom they do act as a facilitator on behalf of distraught families wanting to bring home their loved one's.
“There is no fee for our intervention. Our first case was the unconditional release of South African Yolande Korkie on 10 January 2014 in Yemen.
“We secured the unconditional release of her husband Pierre Korkie on 6 December 2014 but US marines attempted a rescue of their hostage, Luke Somers on that fatal day, both Pierre and Luke were killed.”
He said during the Covid-19 pandemic, all negotiations were stalled.“
“During Ramadaan this year, we requested unconditional, ransom free release as hearts are generally softened during the fasting period.
“Letters from religious leaders were forwarded to support our request.
“We tried again during the period of Hajj (pilgrimage), a very significant time. Then came the Morocco Earthquake, we offered assistance but it was not required, however, it drew a response from the captives who have links with Morocco, and through the intermediaries we received an indirect message of appreciation.”
He said late on Saturday night one of their very trusted intermediaries called us to say that van Deventer had been released into Algeria.
“He could not be released through Mali, apparently because of the current new war between the Mali military and the Tuaregs.
Sooliman said they received confirmation that van Deventer was taken to a hospital for a review.
“We await the next step on his health and arrangements to bring him home to be reunited with wife Shereen and son Asher, it has been 6 agonising years of prayer, patience and hope.
“May Gerco return home soon, safely.”
In an earlier interview with IOL, van Deventer’s wife Shereen said she had never lost faith, even though during the Covid-19 pandemic there had been no communication.
The couple have three children aged between 12 and 18.
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