Moti Brothers Safely Returned After 3 Week Ordeal, Mzansi Celebrates
- South Africa is celebrating after the Moti brothers were finally found and safely returned to their worried family
- The four brothers, aged between 6 and 15, were kidnapped while on their way to school on 20 October
- The boys' overjoyed parents thanked South Africans for their continued prayers and support in the past three weeks
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The four Moti brothers who were abducted nearly a month ago while being transported by their driver have reportedly been returned home safely.
The news broke on social media in the early hours of Thursday morning, bringing the siblings' three-week kidnapping ordeal to a close.
Source: Twitter
Heading online, anti-crime activist and social cohesion advocate Yusuf Abramjee shared a series of screenshots, per a statement released by their parents, reportedly confirming the boys' safe return.
"The four Moti brothers have been freed and they are now safely reunited with their family. This is the message from the parents," the tweet read.
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Briefly News reported previously the family believed the kidnappings were a ransom situation, although no calls had been made to this effect in the days following the alleged abductions.
Family responded swiftly to phone call
At the time of publication, it was not immediately clear if a ransom had indeed been exchanged. An official statement from the police is also yet to be released. The screenshots of the Moti family's message circulating online read in part:
"The parents of Zia, Alaan, Zayyad, Naazim, and little Zidan, Naazim, and Shakira Moti are overjoyed by the return of their four sons. We thank Almighty Allah for accepting our prayers and the prayers of so many in South Africa.
"We wish to express our sincere gratitude to South African Police Service (SAPS), our political parties, the media, all the social media influencers, and everyone who prayed for the safety of our children," the message read.
The family said once they received the phone call, presumably from the kidnappers, to fetch Zia (15), Alaan (13), Zayyad (11), and Zidan (6), they rushed to the scene full of hope.
They thanked South Africans for banding around them, saying they are now looking forward to healing as a family.
"We will appreciate some privacy for a while. We will talk to the media within a few days," the message concluded.
Concerned South Africans reacted to the news of the safe return of the boys, aged six to 15, with the hashtag #MotiBrothers making the trends list.
Speculations rife over the motive for kidnappings
Briefly News takes a look at the messages flooding in from locals below.
@Tarani_Zani wrote:
"Well done @EFFSouthAfrica for such great work and awareness in bringing this case to the attention of the country."
@qurqurqo said:
"Thank God. Think the parents are going to move them out the country now. It's safer."
@VersatileMan26 added:
"Why do they get returned after the huge cocaine shipment gets stolen from the police??"
Mzansi turns to God for Moti sons' safe return
In related news, Briefly News previously reported that Nazim and Shakira Moti from Limpopo lived every parent's worst nightmare when their four sons, Zia (15), Alaan (13), Zayyad (11) and Zidan (6) were kidnapped on Wednesday, 20 October in Polokwane.
Saffas prayed for the safe return of the Moti brothers, who were kidnapped on 20 October. The incident took place while their driver was transporting them to school.
The driver was left at the scene and the vehicle they traveled in was hijacked and was later found abandoned - it was a silver BMW.
Source: Briefly News
