Cape Town - The Gift of the Givers foundation will use medical records to conduct an “over the phone” diagnosis of South African hostage Pierre Korkie.
The 56-year-old biology teacher, who was kidnapped by al-Qaeda in Yemen over seven months ago, was showing signs of failing health when his wife, Yolande Korkie, was released by the terrorist group on January 10.
On Friday, there was relief for the Bloemfontein man’s family when his captors extended the ransom deadline.
But Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, which negotiated for Yolande Korkie’s release, said: “When she left him he had a hernia and signs of renal failure. There’s a good chance that he might die long before the deadline has been reached.”
Sooliman said the foundation was collecting as many medical records as possible. This, coupled with interviews with his wife, might help paint a picture of Korkie’s condition.
“We need to try predict what we think will happen to him. The question we are asking is what is the biggest danger, the execution or his illness?”
Cape Argus