Search on for missing SA lensman

SOUTH African officials from the Department of International Relations have returned to Libya to search for missing photographer Anton Hammerl.

Hammerl's wife, Penny Sukhraj, said yesterday a South African government official told her on Tuesday that their "staff have moved back to Tripoli and have requested formal consular access to Anton".

A US-based news website reported on Tuesday that the SA mission to Tripoli evacuated when the conflict between forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and rebel forces erupted.

Neither of the department's spokespersons, Clayson Monyela nor Saul Molobi, were available to confirm this yesterday, however.

"A consul official told us today that the matter is being dealt with at the senior level," Sukhraj said.

"There is now a feeling that tangible efforts are being made to demand information with regards to Anton's release."

It was initially thought Hammerl was detained with three other journalists last week.

The Atlantic reported however that Hammerl was apparently not with the three journalists.

While the three other journalists - two American and one from Spain - were apparently spotted in a detention centre in Tripoli late last week, Hammerl's whereabouts are unknown.

"The whole fact that there is so little verifiable information is awful," Sukhraj said.

"We have no idea whether he is alright or whether he has access to food and water. We don't know if he is being harmed."

Sukhraj said it was hard to keep "being brave in the absence of information about Anton's wellbeing".

"Every day that goes by it feels like a little bit more of a black hole situation," she said.

"I hope they (the South African government) are doing enough to secure his release," said Sukhraj.

Spokesperson for the US Embassy in South Africa, Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau, said yesterday they are "actively seeking info on the whereabouts of Mr. Hammerl".

"This specific case has been taken up by the White House. We are happy to help South Africa."

She said the US has sources on the ground and ways of engaging the Libyan government on the matter. They also make use of other governments and NGO's to gather information. "We have ways of communicating with them,'' she said.

"This is a high-profile case and we hope that the Libyan government would understand that the detention of journalists is not the way to go and that they all would be released immediately," she said.

The SA National Editors' Forum called on the government and President Jacob Zuma to "use their influence on (Muammar) Gaddafi to secure" Hammerl's release.