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Friday is the deadline set by Al Qaeda captors for a 3-million dollar ransom to be paid for the release of South African teacher, Pierre Korkie, or he will be killed.
Korkie's wife, Yolande, who was released earlier by their captors following intervention by the organisation, Gift of the Givers, made an impassioned plea on Thursday for his release.
The Korkie's were kidnapped in Yemen in May last year.
She was released last week without any ransom being paid, but the captors who admitted to being members of Al Qaeda took a tougher line with respect to her husband.
Meanwhile as the ransom deadline for Pierre Korkie approaches, Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman says they have not given up hope for the South African and ex-Bloemfontein school teacher's safe release, despite a breakdown in negotiations.
The NGO has been trying fruitlessly to reason with the al-Qaeda militants since securing the release of Pierre's wife Yolande last week.
Sooliman says the kidnappers have admitted they took the wrong people!
"It is not going well, almost like a distant relationship at the moment. We told them last night we cannot raise 3 million dollars. We will be lucky if we raise 3 0000. South Africa is poor and we cannot raise this kind of money. Pierre is a sick man and being held against his will" he said
Sooliman says there is also some confusion over the exact deadline.
