After weeks of negotiations to bring South African paramedic, Gerco van Deventer, home to his family in Swellendam came to an end, his family are clinging onto hope and faith.
Cape Town – Nearly two weeks ago, negotiations to bring South African Gerco van Deventer home from where he is being held in Mali by Al Qaeda, came to a halt after his captors demanded ransom for his release, and now faith and hope remains.
This is what his wife, Shereen van Deventer is praying for from their home in Swellendam.
Shereen said she had received no further update since last week and that her only lifeline for communication was humanitarian group Gift of the Givers and the Department of International Relations and Co-operation(Dirco).
Van Deventer, a paramedic, had been working in Afghanistan until mid-2017 and had moved to an apparently safer location in Libya when he was kidnapped and kept hostage and eventually sold to Al Qaeda in Mali.
He is being kept hostage along with many others from foreign countries.
On April 9, Gift of the Givers negotiator, Mohamed Yehia Dicko, began talks and discussions for his release.
During a media briefing this month, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, founder and chairman of Gift of the Givers, said the negotiator had to depart from Mali and that the discussions were at a sensitive and vital stage.
Sooliman said the captors were demanding R9.5 million for his release as they had paid for Van Deventer.
Shereen said three videos made of her husband gave her and the family hope.
“Out of all of them (videos), it is always a shock because you do not know what you are going to see. What he is going to look like; is he going to be in a good condition, will he look healthy, will he be battered and bruised?
“It was a pleasant surprise to get the last video, because he looked well… as well as he could look; a little skinnier of what I know him to be. He did mention that he was shot before.
“It is a wait and see game now unfortunately. I have not been able to speak with my husband at all.”
Shereen said it had been a journey to where they were now, to have a glimmer of hope.
“We were kind of used to the fact that he was in a dangerous area. We understood the dangers and there were procedures to follow – he made sure we were aware of that.”
Sooliman said they were hopeful.
“He is now five years and six months in captivity. Our negotiator, Mohamed Yehia Dicko, has returned from Mali where he had a very fruitful engagement with intermediaries.”
In the video, Van Deventer is seen wearing an Islamic top and has a long beard.
Here are some extracts of what he said: “A glimmer of hope came when I heard that about the new South African Embassy in Algeria. It awoke me, pushed me, to do something and build a bridge, to reach the world outside.
“This video that you are watching, is my last hope.
“I want my release to be made possible, by any means possible. And I do not have any information regarding my family.
“Before I was kidnapped, I was happily married with three children. I do not know their current situation, and well-being.
“So, I hope this video will activate any action that will lead to my release, because the thing that I miss the most, that I long for the most, is what they took from me; my freedom.”
DIRCO did not respond to queries about the latest developments.