JOHANNESBURG - Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers is leaning into the holy month of Ramadan with the hope of achieving the release of South African paramedic Gerco van Deventer.
Van Deventer was taken hostage in Libya in 2017 and was later traded by Al Qaeda into Mali.
Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman says with no money to pay ransom, they're instead asking for compassion from the captors.
"There's no ransom money and that's one of the reasons the negotiations stopped because he's got no company behind him. He doesn't have a family of means and the governments don't get involved," Sooliman said.
"So this is a very difficult case. We tried another strategy, and that's the reason we went back in because you can't go empty-handed, it can cause a problem.
But because it's the month of Ramadan, we're using that as an opportunity to say look, we told you from the beginning, from 2019 that the family doesn't have any money, that the company that he worked for is not going to pay, the government is not going to get involved.
"We're reiterating the same message we've been telling you since 2019. It's five years and five months now. Do you think that anybody would allow their family member to stay in captivity for five years and five months if they have the means to pay?
"So upfront we're telling you, asking you for a release without payment. It's the month of Ramadan, look at things more favourably and more you know humanely, more compassionately," he said.