ATT: THE EDITOR – CAPE ARGUS
EMAIL:  ‘arglet@inl.co.za’
Your edition 21^st August 2015

Well done to Gassant Abarder on this article, reading it makes it real for the general public.  In your same edition you focus on Roderick Williams a Cape Town headmaster stranded in UAE.  Although Roderick’s situation is vastly different to Monique as Roderick is a hostage of a government as opposed to a rogue group, Roderick has to go through a similar experience with the angst as to when he will be released and be able to return home to South Africa.  I was involved for nine months in desperately trying to bring Professor Karabus back to South Africa which seemed hopeless until he actually came home.  Like Monique, Cyril Karabus has come back a stronger man with enormous resolve.

Members of the public must understand that when you leave the South African shores for a holiday or to work these travels carry a certain amount of risk.  These risks need to be analysed as best you can and thereafter need to be managed.  As Mr Abarder has said, the experience has left Monique with a drive to do work for the better good.  This is how Professor Karabus has viewed his circumstances and hopefully we will be able to have a headline in the Cape Argus in early course announcing the freedom of Roderick Williams and his positive perspective of the whole dreadful experience.  We as South Africans need to band together and help Roderick Williams return home.  This can only be done as a collective and hopefully someone is there who is pulling together Roderick’s campaign to come home.  Maybe the public should be made aware via the good offices of the Cape Argus as to who to contact.

Michael Bagraim