Cape Town – The Muslim Judicial Council of SA has pledged its full support to Gift of the Givers in its initiative to negotiate the release of Gerco van Deventer who has been held hostage since 2017 in Mali.
This comes after Gift of the Givers hostage negotiator Mohamed Yehhia Dicko last week arrived in Mali to negotiate the release of Gerco van Deventer from Swellendam in the Western Cape, who was employed at a Turkish company at the time of the kidnapping.
MJC SA president Shaykh Irfaan Abrahams said that during Ramadaān, the month of mercy, compassion, and forgiveness, they were appealing to the generosity and humanity of his captors, to release Van Deventer unconditionally.
“The South African community, moreover the Muslim community as well as his family and friends, would be relieved and appreciative of his release, and It has been five long, arduous years.
“We compliment and salute the tireless work of Gift of the Givers in initiating and negotiating the release and safe passage of return for Van Deventer.
“Our fervent and desperate prayer is that with the grace of Allāh, the negotiations will be met with success and Van Deventer would be released without conditions,” Abrahams said.
Deventer, 47, was kidnapped on November 3, 2017 while working as a paramedic in Awbari, Libya, and later he was captured by al-Qaeda terrorists in Mali and a US$3 million (R32m) demand was made for his release.
Last week, the Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman said negotiator Mohamed Yehhia Dicko landed in Mali on April, 9 2023 and on the 10th, he made telephonic contact with one of the key intermediaries, a person who assisted them previously with other hostages.
“Unfortunately the contact is not in the country at the moment, but we are here and we will wait for him to return after Eid al-Fitr, which is next weekend. On Tuesday, Dicko met another group of intermediaries and these are young people who have been sending us videos and information on the case of Van Deventer.
“On Wednesday evening, we received a video made by Van Deventer on March, 15. We are now in position of the video and where again he asked us people to assist him and get out of captivity. He says his biggest loss is his freedom.
“Our negotiator is contemplating moving to the north, and it is an area where most hostages are held,” Sooliman said.
IOL