Cape Town – There is still no news on the whereabouts of two South African men who went missing in Vietnam.
The families of Mushfiq Daniels, 28, of Surrey Estate, and John Bothma, 22, from Gauteng, are praying for the safe return of their loved ones who disappeared while teaching English in the country.
Daniels was last seen on July 5 in Phu Nhuan, Ho Chi Minh City, and his family have travelled to the country to find him. He had been teaching in Vietnam since last March.
It has been three months since Bothma made contact with his family. Santjie Dixon, who has cared for Bothma since he was a minor, yesterday said there was no news.
“It feels as if we’re no closer to answers. The Vietnamese ministry is taking note.”
The Department of International Relations and Co-operation said there was no update on the case. Spokesperson Clayson Monyela said: “We continue to render consular services to the families.”
Daniels’s mother, Faheema, said earlier this month that reports and rumours about her son’s safety and condition, including alleged involvement in organ trafficking, cults and drugs, had caused her to suffer a mild heart attack at the weekend.
Family members had continued to search for her son on foot.
The Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of Vietnam in South Africa, and the South African embassy in Vietnam, did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.