MUSLIM rebels holding 21 mostly foreign hostages, including two South Africans, for more than a month on Friday cancelled the planned start of formal talks with Philippine government negotiators. Manila’s chief negotiator, Roberto Aventajado, said the guerrillas called off Friday’s talks because they have moved the hostages. He now expects the talks to start on Saturday. The hostages — nine Malaysians, three Germans, two French nationals, the two South Africans, Carel and Monique Strydom, two Finns, two Filipinas and a Lebanese — have been held on Jolo island, 960km south of Manila, since they were snatched from a Malaysian resort in late April. Many are ill.