Pirates demand R33m for SA hostages

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SinghDude

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http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Pirates-demand-R33m-for-SA-hostages-20110926


Johannesburg - Somali pirates who kidnapped a South African couple last year have demanded a $4m (R33m) ransom from the family, according to a newspaper report on Monday.

Durban residents Bruno Pelizzari and Deborah Calitz were sailing off the coast of Tanzania when pirates boarded their yacht and captured them on October 26 last year.

Speaking to The Sowetan newspaper on Sunday, Pelizzari's sister Vera said Bruno had phoned her on September 5 appealing for the ransom to be paid.

"I know you are doing everything you can. If they do not get the ransom, they are going to kill us," Pelizzari reportedly told his sibling.

This was the first time Vera had been in contact with her brother and she said a pirate named Ali had been calling her weekly since then.

"I explained to him that we are not rich. I told him that it is going to take time to get the money. We have been forced to beg for donations," she said.
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Pirates of Somalia XXXXXXXIIIIII
 
There's a chap on the board trying to raise awareness/funds for their release.

*Goes off to try find link*
 
Why has someone still not gone and shot all these bloody "pirates"? Seriously, just send in a team of Navy Seals/SAS/something similar and put those dogs down. Didn't the French send in a few cruisers a while ago to put a spanner in the works? What happened to that?
 
TJ99 said:
Why has someone still not gone and shot all these bloody "pirates"? Seriously, just send in a team of Navy Seals/SAS/something similar and put those dogs down. Didn't the French send in a few cruisers a while ago to put a spanner in the works? What happened to that?
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Big ocean + lots of fishing boats... cant exactly go sinking every boat you see.
 
Elimentals said:
Big ocean + lots of fishing boats... cant exactly go sinking every boat you see.
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I'm sure one of the world's great powers could find their hiding holes if they really wanted to. They really need be tougher on sub-human scum like this.
 
Surely by paying ransoms and blackmail you are aiding and abetting a crime.

I see little difference between paying a ransom or a bribe.

If no one paid there would be no profit.

R33M could do more good in SA than encouraging thugs to kidnap people.
 
So there's a manhunt on for whoever murdered that ANC politician, a minister blows R250 000 in Norway due to arrogance, Zuma and his cronies are travelling the world, but nobody is willing to help our citizens?
 
Billy said:
Surely by paying ransoms and blackmail you are aiding and abetting a crime.

I see little difference between paying a ransom or a bribe.

....
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till it's your daughter the somali pirates are ransoming :rolleyes:

seriously though, how did the world rid themselves of the pirate scourge years ago ...? It might have taken a few years, but piracy carried the death sentence and eventually the trade just wasn't worth it... there was no nonsense of capturing the fekkers and bringing them to court

I say bring back keel-hauling, walking-the-plank and hanging from the yard-arm ...aaahhrr
 
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TJ99 said:
I'm sure one of the world's great powers could find their hiding holes if they really wanted to. They really need be tougher on sub-human scum like this.
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+1, they found Osama bin Laden (Or so we were told), I don't see why the can't go find the pirates.
 
Centronix said:
is the Govt doing anything to help? Take 1% off all the politicians annual salaries
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It is (or should be) government policy to never pay a ransom, otherwise they'd be setting a precedent and we'll be paying constantly. That's what K&R insurance is for. Sure, it's expensive, but if you're going somewhere unsafe, then it's worth the money, wouldn't you say? Admittedly, no-one would expect Somalian pirates as far south as Tanzania, but it's not that far south and they have been known to come down as far as Mozambique.

I'm not unsympathetic, but one of the reasons this is so rife in the area is that it is obviously a working business model. People are paying and so the game continues. If this were my loved ones, I'd be trying to raise the money to free them as well.

Juice
 
You cannot pay these pirates, the more you pay the more they kidnap.

If nobody pays them they will stop. It's sad but it is the only way. The US have that policy and it is a very good one.
 
killadoob said:
You cannot pay these pirates, the more you pay the more they kidnap.

If nobody pays them they will stop. It's sad but it is the only way. The US have that policy and it is a very good one.
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The families of those kidnapped will obviously disagree. The pirates will have to then starting killing a few hostages to get their message across. It's a lose-lose situation. Somalia is the only one who can resolve this, a proper functioning government with working security.
 
R13... said:
The families of those kidnapped will obviously disagree. The pirates will have to then starting killing a few hostages to get their message across. It's a lose-lose situation. Somalia is the only one who can resolve this, a proper functioning government with working security.
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You are aware that there is even kidnapping for random in SA?

It does not make head line news all the time but is known to happen esp when people leave casino's and airports.
 
R13... said:
The families of those kidnapped will obviously disagree. The pirates will have to then starting killing a few hostages to get their message across. It's a lose-lose situation. Somalia is the only one who can resolve this, a proper functioning government with working security.
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If no one pays, sure a few people will be killed, but the piracy will stop if there is no profit.

By paying a ransom that family is happy but has put hundreds of others at risk.
 
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