2017 to 2023. Six years. A substantial amount of time, in which things can change significantly. You and the people around you grow up and grow older, new buildings spring up in spaces that were once flat, and life, as we know it, changes.
Imagine how much has changed since Gerco Van Deventer last saw his home and loved ones. The hope is that he will be reunited with his family soon.
The Gift of the Givers, who have been facilitating the South African man’s release, say he’s currently in Algeria under health review. The next steps on how will return to the country are yet to be determined.
“South African State Security confirmed [Saturday night] that Algerian State Security called to inform them that Gerco is freed, is with them and taken to hospital for a health 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.” – Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, Gift of the Givers
Van Deventer was kidnapped in Libya in November 2017, and “sold to JNIM (Al-Qaeda) in Mali in 2018”, says Sooliman. The latter year is when the organisation got involved, and negotiation begun. The terror group had initially requested $3 million, then $500 000 – now having released him, unconditionally.
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When contacting Van Deventer’s wife, Shereen, on how the family’s response to the update in his case, she noted that “we are pretty overwhelmed at this stage”.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s Clayson Monyela says no statement or comment is currently available.
