Moti brothers safely home after three-week kidnapping ordeal

The Moti brothers Zidan, 7, Zayyad, 11, Alaan, 13 and Zia, 15, have been returned to their family.
The Moti brothers Zidan, 7, Zayyad, 11, Alaan, 13 and Zia, 15, have been returned to their family.
Image: Supplied

The four Moti brothers aged seven, 11, 13 and 15, kidnapped in Limpopo three weeks ago, have been reunited with their parents.

Police in Vuwani received a call from a local resident alerting officers that the children arrived at their house on Wednesday night, saying they were dropped off on a nearby road, said police spokesperson Brig Vish Naidoo.

A doctor confirmed the children are in good health
Brig Vish Naidoo

Zidan, Zayyad, Alaan and Zia Moti were abducted, allegedly by seven gunmen, while being driven from their home in Polokwane’s Nirvana suburb to the nearby Curro Heuwelkruin School on October 20. Sunday marked the birthday of the youngest sibling Zian, who turned seven.

Parents Naazim and Shakira Moti “are overjoyed by the return of their four sons”, read a statement on the family's business page on Facebook.

“We are thankful that they were set free and when we received a phone call to fetch the children, we rushed to the scene full of hope.

“We are looking forward to healing as a family.”

The parents of Zia, Alaan, Zayyad and little Zidan, Naazim and Shakira Moti are overjoyed by the return of their four...

Posted by Auto Moti on Wednesday, November 10, 2021

The period since the kidnapping has been marked by relative silence from the family and police on updates or whether ransom demands were received.

Asking for privacy while they came to terms with events, the parents thanked South Africans for the support they received.

“We thank Almighty Allah for accepting our prayers and the prayers of so many in SA. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the SA Police Service, our political parties, the media, all the social media influencers and everyone who prayed for the safety of our children.”

On Thursday morning, Naidoo confirmed the children had been safely reunited with their family.

“Police arranged a doctor who confirmed that the children are in good health before they were handed over to their parents. The children also appeared to be in high spirits during the reunion with their parents,” he said.

“The children have not yet been interviewed by police but investigators will [on Thursday] arrange for the SAPS psychologists to assist with that.

“The investigation into the case of kidnapping is still continuing and we are appealing to anyone who can assist with information that will help bring the kidnappers to book to please contact the police.”

Information can be communicated via the SAPS Crime Stop number 086 00 10111 or via MySAPSApp. All information will be treated with strictest confidence and callers may remain anonymous, said Naidoo.

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