Humanitarian aid organisation Gift of the Givers says it has received a video showing proof of life of South African Gerco van Deventer, who has been held captive in Mali.
In a short statement on Sunday, the organisation said the video had been sent to its negotiator, Mohamed Yehia Dicko, who has been trying to secure Van Deventer's release.
Gift of the Givers said the video was recorded on Friday, May 26.
In it, a bald and long-bearded Van Deventer says: "I am requesting urgent help and assistance to facilitate and activate any action that can lead to my release.
"I do not know of my family's whereabouts or their well-being. I am requesting assistance to facilitate and help me build a bridge to [connect] with the outside world, for me to gain what was taken from me, my freedom and liberty."
Gift of the Givers said Van Deventer is currently in Mali and in discussion with intermediaries and important role players to influence the captors to release Gerco unconditionally.
"This is an extremely important week for the process as we pray and hope for the best. On June 3, Gerco will have been in captivity for five years and seven months. Apologies, but we cannot make any further comment on the matter currently."
Van Deventer, a South African paramedic, was captured in Libya by a splinter group of al-Qaeda before being “sold off” to captors in Mali.
He is a father of three and is a combat medic with advanced life support skills training. He has more than two decades of experience, including 11 years in the military as a medical practitioner.
He was in Libya as part of a one-month contract as a paramedic.
From 2020 to 2022 the family heard almost nothing about his whereabouts.
He is currently the only known South African hostage held anywhere in the world.
Van Deventer is reportedly being held captive by an Al-Qaeda-linked group. They had demanded that his family pay a ransom for his release but these are funds which the family does not have. The South African government also does not contribute to ransom demands.
In April, TimesLIVE reported that the Gift of the Givers had negotiated the ransom amount down to $500,000 (R9.2m) from the $R3m (R55m) that was initially requested.
TimesLIVE
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