SA man held by al-Qaeda home

MCGOWN: NEARLY SIX-YEAR-LONG HOSTAGE SAGA ENDS Government and NGOs help to get him freed and no ransom was paid.

Hostage Stephen McGown, who was seized in Mali, has been released and is back at home.

South African hostage Stephen McGown, who was seized by al-Qaeda during a coup in Timbuktu, Mali in 2011, is home.

“It was a big surprise when Stephen walked through the door. But when I gave him a hug he felt as sound and strong as before,” McGown’s father, Malcolm, said yesterday. “The joy of the miracle that happened we can’t describe.”

Sadly, McGown’s mother, Beverly, passed away two months before her son’s return.

McGown, who is married to Cathy, had been planning to come home and start a family when he was taken hostage.

He wanted one last adventure and was travelling through Africa by motorbike when he was captured.

Another hostage, Dutchman Sjaak Rijke, was freed in April by French Special Forces during a desert operation near Tessalit in northern Mali.

Malcolm McGown thanked all those involved in securing his son’s release. “There was a tremendous amount of work done behind the scenes. Government assisted from the beginning.

“I just really need to thank everyone for their prayers, and that’s every race and creed. People from around the world have prayed for my son. And the NGOs that have helped us.

International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane added that McGown was receiving all the support he needed.

State Security Minister David Mahlobo said South Africans were celebrating with the family.

There were no ransom payments and McGown was released without any conditions. –