Screams for help coming from the dark prompted a Limpopo family to assist the four young Moti brothers who were kidnapped three weeks ago in Polokwane.
The brothers were released by their captors this week but police could not immediately say how the brothers were released.
National police spokesperson Brig Vish Naidoo said in a statement yesterday that Zidan, Zayyad, Alaan and Zia Moti – aged between six and 15 – had been safely reunited with their family on Wednesday night.
Naidoo told Sowetan yesterday he was not aware if the Moti family had paid a ransom for the release of the quartet.
Rendani Vhulade from Ha-Masia village in Vuwani, Limpopo, told Sowetan he was at his home at around 8pm when he heard unusual screams from what seemed to be minors speaking English.
“I was walking around my yard when I heard people shouting ‘help us, help us’. I then went back to the house to alert my wife about what I’m witnessing,” Vhulade said.
He said they didn’t waste time and went out to open their gate to check what was happening.
The children didn’t say much except one person requested to use our phone to talk to his parents. They said they don’t want to sleep and they even refused to enter our house and opted to sit outside until their relatives arrived at the scene,” he said.
Naidoo said police in Vuwani had received a call from a local resident, saying that the children had arrived at their house saying they were dropped off on a nearby road.
Vhulade added that the Moti family and police arrived at the same time to fetch the children from his home.
Vhalude’s wife Stephina Simango said when she saw the children she thought they were the Moti brothers because she had read about the story of the missing children.
“I knew about the story of the missing children, hence I connected the dots and called the police. I tried to extract some information about what happened to them but they didn’t say anything,” she said.
Simango said the children were still dressed in their school uniforms.
“They looked like they have been wearing the uniform for a very long time. I could see that they were not fine,” she said.
According to Simango, the Moti brothers were walking alongside the main road between Vuwani and Nkuzana village.
"We stay next to the main road which is busy during the day but at night there are less cars making movement. Where we stay it's a new settlement and most people are still building while others have only fenced their stands ," she said.
Simango said that the area is scary at night as there are no streets lights adding that there are few houses on the other side of the road.
The Chief of the area Mbangiseni Masia told Sowetan that he learnt about the issue in the media and he is yet to meet the village heroes.
"I have scheduled a meeting with the couple and the local headman to understand what transpired. I also want to thank the couple for assisting the children because very few people can open their gate to strangers at night," he said.
The brothers were on their way to Curro Heuwelkruin High School in Polokwane at about 7am on October 20 when they were taken at gunpoint by their abductors.
A group of men with rifles and guns cornered their vehicle and forcefully removed them.
The Moti family also took to social media to thank all South Africans who had been praying for the brothers' safe return.
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