The mother of the four brothers who were kidnapped on their way to a Limpopo school on Wednesday, allegedly by seven armed men, has requested spiritual support from other parents.
A group of anxious mothers on Thursday gathered outside the Curro schoolyard where they knelt down in the middle of the road to pray for the safe return of the abducted Moti brothers Zia, 15, Alaan, 13, Zayyad, 11 and Zidan, 6, of Nirvana in Polokwane.
One of the parents, Audrey Molokwane, addressed the group of women outside the school. She said she had spoken to the mother of the abducted boys, Shakira Moti.
“She asked us to pray harder for her children to return home unharmed,” she said.
Molokwane and other women shed tears as they knelt and prayed.
Mywish Muyengwa said her three children, all pupils at Curro, were traumatised and unable to sleep on Monday night.
“My children heard about the incident and were much traumatised at home. One, who is in Grade 5 with Zayyad, had nightmares about him getting grabbed by unknown men.
“I can’t imagine what the family is going through and if it was me I would have died going a day without seeing my kids. As mothers here we should pray for the family and support them in whatever way we can,” she said.
A parent who wished to remain anonymous told Sowetan that she was still shocked by what has happened to the Moti brothers.
“This is scary and it also tells you that there are people who watch our children‘s daily moves. We try to be vigilant as we can but there is nothing can do when confronted by seven armed men,” she said.
The Moti brothers were abducted on the R37 near the N1 freeway just outside the Polokwane CBD.
Moti family spokesperson Phillip Smit said the family has not received any communication from the kidnappers.
“We haven’t heard anything so far and we are hoping to hear from them. The family is much traumatised but they are receiving all the support they need,” he said.
Marí Lategan, Curro executive for corporate services, said pupils held a special prayer meeting for the Moti family on Wednesday.
“The group was exceptionally touched by the fact that all neighbouring schools were doing the same,” Lategan said.
She said their pupils were doing everything in their power to support the family and the school community.
Police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said their preliminary investigations revealed that the children were forcefully removed from their scholar transport by a group of about seven suspects armed with rifles.
Mojapelo added that the suspects then forced the four children out of the vehicle into their Mercedes-Benz and drove off in the direction of the R81, leaving the distraught driver on the scene with his vehicle.
“Police were notified and immediately started with investigations and manhunt for the suspects and the children. The victims' cellphones were later recovered after they were found dumped at Flora Park,” he said.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.