Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2014-01-24

The South African man held by militants in Yemen is alive.  

"Mr. Pierre Korkie is alive. There is somebody negotiating with the kidnappers and he assured us that Pierre Korkie is alive; and they will keep him alive because I think what they want is the ransom,” Deputy International Relations Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim told Radio Islam on Friday.

Ebrahim described Korkie's kidnapping as a case of "mistaken identity", as South Africans were not normally targeted.

"The Yemen authorities, who have considerable experience dealing with situations of this type, emphasized that the motive for the kidnapping was not political," said Ebrahim.

Ebrahim told Radio Islam he was prompted to visit Yemen himself after the South African ambassador who is based in Riyad, Saudi Arabia undertook numerous trips to secure the release of Korkie couple.

“I felt I should go myself there to engage the government and see what we could do to get Mr. Korkie released,” said Ebrahim.

Ebrahim said his delegation met Yemen's security services, the country's foreign minister, interior minister, prime minister and President Abdel-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.

“We discussed all the different options and they were very willing to co-operate with South Africa to see Pierre Korkie is released unharmed,” Ebrahim told Radio Islam.

While Ebrahim was in Yemen, he made an emotional appeal on Yemeni television that was even translated to Arabic for Korkie's release. “I pleaded with them, that they should not harm him and they should release him.

"Pierre Korkie is gravely ill and desperately needs medical attention. His life is in danger. Islam enjoins us to show mercy and forbids us from harming the sick, even in war. I beg those who are holding him to release him without delay," Ebrahim said during the broadcast.

"South Africa is a developing country and the Korkies are not a rich family. I appeal to you to co-operate with all initiatives so that Pierre Korkie can come home for the treatment he needs to save his life and be reunited with his family."

Ebrahim did not believe the kidnappers had been given the impression, from his televised plea that the South African government would negotiate with them.

“No we made it very clear to the kidnappers through some other channels that we are not going to pay ransom. If we pay ransom, of course we will endanger the lives of many South Africans that are working in the Middle East that could be kidnapped.”

Despite the skepticism that the militants were not Al-Qaeeda linked, Ebrahim said that his delegation had a lengthy discussion with the security establishment in Yemen which confirmed the kidnappers are part of Al-Qaeeda.

“They call it the Al-Qaeeda in the Arab Peninsula and it is confirmed that they are Al-Qaeeda,” said Ebrahim.

Ebrahim said they cannot be confident that Pierre will be released without ransom, but they will try their best. “You are dealing with people who are not very reasonable and we do not know how they would act, but we are hoping that he would be released.”

Ebrahim urged South Africans travelling overseas, especially to areas of conflict not to go there unless it is absolutely necessary, to be careful and register at South African embassies.

The couple were kidnapped in the city of Taiz in Yemen in May. Korkie's wife Yolande was held for seven months and after extensive negotiations she was released in January without a ransom.

At the time of the kidnapping, Korkie was a teacher in Yemen, while his wife did relief work in hospitals.

(Twitter: @Faizie143)