A church hostage drama left five people dead and 30 arrested in Zuurbekom, Gauteng, in the early hours of Saturday morning. According to police, the incident took place at the International Pentecost Holiness Church. Police responded to reports of a hostage situation and shooting at around 03:00. “At approximately 03:00 this[…]
What appears to be a new video has surfaced showing South African photojournalist Shiraaz Mohamed who continues to appear as a hostage of an armed rebel group in Syria. In a statement, Gift of the Givers Foundation, which has been leading the negotiations for his release, said the “new” video[…]
By Anees Teladia A video providing the proof of life of missing South African photo-journalist Shiraaz Mohamed has been described as a “breakthrough” by Gift of the Givers. Mohamed is currently being held hostage in Syria by an armed rebel group and has been in this situation for over two[…]
Social grant recipients have released employees of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) after holding them hostage in Tshidilamolomo and Disaneng villages on the outskirts of Mahikeng in the North West on Wednesday. This happened after hundreds of recipients were sent back home after being told that their accounts[…]
The hijacker of an EgyptAir passenger jet was arrested at Cyprus’ Larnaca airport after a five-hour standoff. No one was hurt in the incident after the man surrendered to authorities. The EgyptAir domestic flight from Alexandria to Cairo was hijacked on Tuesday morning and forced to divert to the island[…]
A South African man who has been held hostage in Mali for four years, has expressed hope that he would see his family soon, in a video released to the organisation Gift of the Givers. Stephen McGown, looking thin and sporting a long beard, thanked the South African government and[…]
Turkish authorities have arrested the head of the bar association in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir on a charge of “promoting terrorism” after he commented on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) group during a televised debate. Tuesday’s detainment of Tahir Elci, a prominent lawyer who last week said on the[…]
Four Palestinians kidnapped at gunpoint in Egypt’s Sinai late Wednesday are members of Hamas, Egyptian security officials said, and are being held hostage by the Sinai Province militant group. Egyptian officials told Ma’an that the four Hamas members were taken hostage by the IS-affiliated group as a bargaining chip to[…]
Aid organisation Gift of the Givers has agreed to assist the McGown family in securing Stephen McGown’s release. “It is well understood that in situations like these there are no guarantees of success. It has been a very tough and trying time for the family having waited 3 years and[…]
The wife of a South African man who was kidnapped by al-Qaeda in Mali more than three years ago is in poor health, his father told News24 on Tuesday. Stephen McGown was preparing to start a family with his wife before he was kidnapped in November 2011, said Malcolm McGown.[…]
WhatsApp us 