Moz holds SA man for terror

It has been confirmed that an expat South African is under arrest in Palma, Mozambique, for suspected terrorist links in the region. It was earlier reported he had been kidnapped.

Andre Hanekom’s wife, Francis, confirmed that her husband had been accused of terrorism.

“I found him in the hospital alive, but he is under military guard,” she told Lowvelder.

She said this had all transpired as other businesspeople in the area wanted to get rid of her husband “to get to” his businesses.

“This is all lies against my husband so they can take over his businesses.”

Hanekom owns the Marina in Palma, a town on the Indian Ocean coast of Mozambique, lying south of the border with Tanzania.

It was first thought he was kidnapped on Tuesday, but it has now been confirmed he had been arrested by the military police.

A police source confirmed the military police arrested him and used force against Hanekom, because he allegedly resisted arrest on Tuesday.

In June, the US embassy in Mozambique issued a security alert, warning all US citizens to avoid visiting Palma. Mozambique has witnessed brutal attacks in the area by armed militants that police have linked to an extremist Islamic group in the northern part of the country.

Hanekom is originally from Mbombela, but has lived in Palma for the past 26 years.

His daughter, Amanda Hanekom, said he was chased by unknown suspects down the road.

Witnesses reported Hanekom was shot at several times and seriously wounded.

“They threw him in the back of a brown Toyota Cruiser and they disappeared with him.” At the time the family had no idea if he had been medically treated or how serious his condition was.

Francis said Hanekom was supposed to go to the bank on Tuesday to pay his taxes and come straight back home.

She stressed that the kidnapping was not related to any terrorism.

“Andre was chased by men with balaclavas over their faces, in a civilian vehicle with ‘Safari’ written on the side, without number plates.”

He fled to the hotel, as they are the only business in Palma who have 24-hour armed guards on duty, she said.

According to eyewitnesses, Hanekom opened the gate, which is always closed and opened by the guards. When they closed it after his entrance, the abductors’ vehicle came around the corner and bashed open the gate with their vehicle.

The manager of the hotel started to talk to the assailants and they fired shots in the air with three AK-47s. Hanekom was wounded and then abducted.