Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Calls to prayer for safe return of kidnapped brothers
SOUTH Africans were yesterday asked to stand in unity and pray for the kidnapped Moti brothers from Polokwane, Limpopo at noon.
Catherine Constantinides, a former Miss Earth South Africa who is passionate about the development and empowerment of women, children and gender equality, posted on Twitter: “At 12 noon today (yesterday) the nation is asked to stand in unity and pray for the #MotiBrothers and their family.
“It is three days since they were kidnapped on route to school earlier this week. These are our children, let us share their picture far and wide and ask that any info gets brought forward.”
She tweeted: “These are not just four children of a family from Polokwane, these are our children as a nation. I cannot begin to imagine the horror for the family and for these four boys.”
The Curro Heuwelkruin Independent School, which posted a picture of teachers and pupils kneeling in prayer for their safe return, pleaded on Facebook with the public to help find the sons of wealthy Polokwane businessman Nazim Moti – Zidan 6, Zayyad, 11, Alaan, 13, and Zia, 15 – following their kidnapping on Wednesday morning. They were abducted on their way to school by seven armed men dressed in white overalls.
On Thursday, EFF leader Julius Malema tweeted: “All ground forces, let’s be the first to find the culprits, we just want to talk to them. Attack!!!”
The Moti family still has no idea where they could be and the motive for the kidnapping remains unknown, with no ransom demand having been received, according to police. A very large team of police officers countrywide, especially in Gauteng, are involved in the search.
Bianca van Aswegen, a criminologist and national co-ordinator for Missing Children SA, said in media reports that since last year there has been an increase in the number of children who have been reported missing. “We have had to deal with a number of kidnappings this year,” she said.
Martin Ewi, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies and an expert on organised crime in Africa, said since 2016 there has been an increase in the number of wealthy families being targeted.
“When children are abducted, it’s usually children of rich families. Criminals will spot a child, notice that the family are wealthy and think, ‘Here is a chance to make some money’.”
Moti family lawyer Philip Smit, who maintains the kidnapping was ransom-motivated, told a local radio station: “The family is in distress and under extreme traumatic stress for their four sons.”
Smit said people from all corners of the country are offering assistance, the Polokwane Review reported. The Moti family have urged the public to help them with any information that might ensure the safe return of their children.
“We have received hundreds of phone calls. We just need the boys back. That is all we are praying for,” Smit said.
Lizette Lancaster, from the Institute for Security Studies, said in media reports: “There is a high level of planning involved and it might be that these people are quite cool and collected and they know exactly what they are doing, they have done this before – and in that case, getting the police involved and making sure that you use all avenues to track down these children is quite important to make sure that these people are found and arrested.
“Of course there is always the risk that matters become almost hot ... They might choose to abandon the children somewhere or abandon their plans to ask for a ransom.”