South African photographer Anton Hammerl — held in in Libya for about six weeks — is still alive, the Star newspaper reported on Thursday.
“I think what is very critical is to make sure the he remains safe, but also that we safely bring him back home,” said International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
She said the South African government was in regular contact with the Libyan authorities.
Nkoana-Mashabane would not provide details.
“We believe that in a situation of political crisis, which has reached the scale of civil war, the more details you give the media the more you risk exposing him to danger.”
Responding to a question whether the SA government had proof Hammerl was still alive, Nkoana-Mashabane said “yes”.
Hammerl went missing on April 5 while on assignment in the country.
Meanwhile, the employer of one of two United States journalists being detained by forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said they have been allowed a visitor for the first time after more than a month in captivity.
James Foley was covering the conflict for the Boston-based news agency GlobalPost when he was captured April 5. Foley has been detained with Clare Morgana Gillis, a freelance journalist who writes for The Atlantic and USAToday.
A GlobalPost spokesperson said on Wednesday an intermediary visited Foley and Gillis in Tripoli and said they were in good health and being treated well. – Sapa, Sapa-AP