Johannesburg - Shiraaz Mohamed’s family are still awaiting the return of the missing photographer a week after the news broke that he had escaped his captors in Syria.
They said they had no indication of when he would be coming home after nearly three years in captivity.
“We’re waiting patiently for protocols and procedures to run their course,” said Mohamed’s ex-wife Shirley Brijlal.
Yesterday, the family said they could not say where he was at present.
On Saturday Brijlal received a surprise call from her ex-husband, telling her he had escaped.
Since then, however, she has heard nothing and the silence is taking a toll on the family.
“This delay is killing me, this part is really hard. A person can’t take much more, but I have to remain strong for my son,” said Shireen Mohamed, Mohamed’s mother.
This week the family accused the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers of endangering Mohamed’s life by revealing to the media that he had escaped.
The Department of International Relations and Co-operation was also tight-lipped about what is happening to Mohamed. Spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele said the department was dealing with the matter and would release a statement when it felt it was necessary.
Mohamed’s reported escape came as community members and friends had begun raising the $700000 (R9.97million) that his captors were demanding as a ransom.
To raise the money the community of Ennerdale had planned several funding events. His release will mean a change of plans.
As with everyone else, they are happy to learn that he could soon be home.
“We were all excited. I think we are all excited because he worked in our area and he was very close to the community and we were very attached to Shiraaz,” said one of the fund-raisers, Dean Rosenberg.
The raised ransom money will be used for something else.
Rosenberg said that they would return donations, if the donors wanted them to.
He said one of the options was that the money raised might go towards a foundation set up in Mohamed’s name. He said that they would consult with Mohamed about what he wanted done.
But in the meantime there is a celebration to think about.
“When he gets home, we are going to have a big bash, we are going to celebrate him coming home and that he is alive,” said Rosenberg.