30 April 2012
South Africa has condemned the kidnapping of a 12-year-old South African boy in Kuala Lumpur, and urged the government of Malaysia to do everything in its power to secure the boy’s release.
Nayati Shamilin Moodliar was on his way to school when he was kidnapped on Friday morning.
“The South African government condemns in the strongest possible terms this act of criminality and calls on the government of Malaysia to continue with its efforts to secure the release of Nayati Moodliar and to bring the perpetrators to book,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement on Sunday.
It said the government has been in contact with the boy’s family both in Malaysia and South Africa.
“The South African High Commissioner in Malaysia has visited the family to express the government’s support to them,” the department said. “The High Commission is in daily contact with the relevant authorities.”
The government called on the public to support the Moodliar family until they were reunited with their son.
Meanwhile, South Africa is also in talks with officials in Sudan to secure the release of a South African man who was captured at the weekend, the department said.
“Our ambassador is speaking to the [Sudanese] authorities. We are offering consular assistance to him,” department spokesperson Clayson Monyela said on Monday.
He said South Africa was also working jointly with other countries that have nationals who are captured in Sudan.
Thabo Siave and his South Sudanese colleague, who are employees of Denel Mechem, were participating in a United Nations humanitarian operation when they were captured.
According to media reports, Denel Mechem said the men had full diplomatic immunity because of the work they were doing for the UN’s peacekeeping forces.
Meanwhile, the authorities are waiting for details regarding the South African man who was reportedly shot and killed by his bodyguard in Somalia on Friday. The incident is said to have happened in Somalia’s Puntland region.
“We don’t know anything about it,” Monyela said on Monday. “Our mission in Kenya is looking into it.”
South Africa does not have a mission in Somalia.
Source: BuaNews
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