A Namibian truck driver, Vilho Njati, who was reported missing in South Africa, was found last night.
This was confirmed by the police attaché to the Namibian High Commission in Pretoria, Commissioner Reinhard !Haoseb.
Commissioner !Haoseb said he collected Njati from the Protea Glen Police Station in Soweto, Johannesburg, on Thursday morning.
The police attaché gave a recount of Njati's ordeal. He was hijacked on early Friday morning as he was transporting timber from Durban en route to Namibia.
"He was hijacked and kept hostage until yesterday evening, when he was dropped off in Soweto, Johannesburg. He was blindfolded, and he could not see exactly where he was. He approached the filling station, and then the police from Protea Glen were called to Soweto. That's where he alerted his supervisor, who eventually alerted me."
He reported that Njati is unharmed, safe, and has no visible injuries.
Commisssioner !Haoseb added that they are in the process of facilitating his temporary travel documents so he can return to Namibia.
Commissioner !Haoseb when asked what strategies were in place to ensure the safety of local truck drivers venturing into hotspot zones, said, "There was no strategy in place to ensure the safety of local truck drivers who venture into dangerous zones in South Africa as trucks are operated by private companies."
He advised truck operators and owners to set up strategies to ensure the safety of the trucks and consignments.
The family of Njati back home heaved a sigh of relief from this positive news.
His cousin, Tutangeni Nambinga, who is also employed at the same company, expressed his gratitude.
"It is truly a relief to us, colleagues, boss, and family that our brother is found. He is unharmed; he is safe. He is alive. I would just like to thank the public for sharing and the police Namibian, Interpol, and South African counterparts who took part in the search for Panduleni. We really thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We could not have done it without you. We thank you so much."
For lucky Njati, if all goes well, he will be safely back on Namibian grounds by Friday.