The wife of kidnapped South African paramedic, Gerco van Deventer, says she is still hopeful that he will come home.

Van Deventer, from Swellendam, was held hostage in Libya in November 2017.

He had been moved from Afghanistan for safer working conditions, but was kidnapped in Libya and sold to an Al-Qaeda group in Mali, where he’s been ever since.

The Gift of the Givers has been working tirelessly to secure his release.

On Thursday, Gift of The Givers founder Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman said their negotiator Mohamed Yehia Dicko, who has returned from Mali, had ”fruitful engagements” with the captors, and they are now opening the door to further dialogue.

Dicko met with Sooliman in person on Thursday to relay ”sensitive information” regarding the negotiations, which could not be done via digital communication channels.

Dicko will return to Mali for further negotiations. Sooliman says they want the unconditional release of Van Deventer, without paying any ransom money. The captors had last demanded $500 000.

Speaking to the Ryan O’Connor Breakfast show on Smile FM, Gerco’s wife Shereen praised the work by the Gift of the Givers.

She says a recent ”proof of life” video has given her hope, but she is not sure if Gerco has seen a video they sent via the negotiator, in which she and the children express their longing for him.

Shereen says she is staying positive and hoping for the best, and crucially, she tries to help their children remember their father and the good times, which makes it easier for them to talk about their dad and ask her the difficult questions about the situation the family finds itself in.

Shereen also thanked everyone who has reached out to her:

It really carries us as a family to know how many people care and how many people are praying for us.

A brave wife and a brave mother, we all hope and pray that Gerco will be home soon.

Listen to Shereen’s full interview with Ryan O’Connor:

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