Leon Van Rensburg Update by Bernadette Wolhuter iol online

Paul Khan just shared this new information on our Neighbourhood Watch wall:

October 12 2012 at 07:51am
By Bernadette Wolhuter

IOL online

Hijacking victim Leon van Rensburg, 52, is said to be safely back with his family.

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Durban - The search for the missing New Germany father, Leon van Rensburg, 52, who was thought to have been hijacked, was called off on Thursday night when he made contact with a family friend saying he was safe and needed a lift home.

His brother-in-law, Rob Gardner, said he understood that Van Rensburg had been dumped near Underberg after being hijacked on Tuesday. His white Toyota Tazz was found abandoned near Kokstad on Wednesday.

He apparently made his way to a phone and called a friend who lived in Howick. The friend collected him and returned him home, to his wife and children, on Thursday night.

Gardner described the three days during which Van Rensburg was missing as "taxing" on the family.

"I'm relieved he's safe and coming home," his wife, Shirley, said.

She said that the couple's two sons, Graham and Andrew, as well as their daughter, Megan, were delighted.

Although the full story of what happened is still to unfold, it is understood the IT technician was hijacked near his home while on his way to a meeting.

Megan, 15, was sent an SMS reading "Help, hijacked" from her father's phone at 10.41am. She was at school at the time and only saw the SMS four hours later.

Van Rensburg's family and friends said that until Thursday night, he had had not been seen or heard from. His bank account had also remained inactive.

News of his reappearance dominated local chatter on social media networks.

"It has been absolutely incredible and we are blown away," his wife said about the support the family had received.

Police spokesman Jay Naicker said police were on their way to the family's home to interview Van Rensburg to get to the bottom of what happened.
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