By Murray Williams
Staff Writer
The family of a Cape Town man being held in Afghanistan for allegedly killing a security guard were still anxiously awaiting news from the South African government on Thursday.
Philip Frank Young, of Tableview, was detained in Lashkar Gar, in Helmand province.
His brother, Patrick, explained to the Cape Argus on Thursday: "He worked as a logistics manager for a logistics supply company, Anham.
"On the day in question, he came into a compound, and was met by the sight of six guards. They were not in uniform, but were armed."
Young said this was "strictly against regulations", as it created difficulties in identifying people.
He said his brother had instructed the men to drop their weapons, and one of the men had then fired at him. "His missed, but my brother did not."
His brother had been detained in the city, but had been moved to a detention centre in Kabul called the Counter Narcotics Justice Centre later.
Young said the family had managed to send letters to him on Wednesday, but had had no response yet.
He believed Young's detention was in contravention of time limits imposed by the Afghan Criminal Procedure Code, the Afghan constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Since learning of his detention, the family had received "huge support", Young said.
A support group on the social networking site Facebook reported: "His detention is illegal. He had to (have been) released already, had the rule of law been followed.
"Phillip's family have a right to know where he is being held. They have a right to have contact with him. They have a right to have a husband, brother, father and friend back where he belongs, in South Africa.
"He has a right to dignity and liberty. This is being denied," the support group's statement read.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of International Relations and Co-operation, Malusi Mogale, said on Wednesday that a diplomatic staffer had been dispatched to Kabul to try to ascertain the grounds for Young's detention.