Marumo Gallants duo 'feared their lives were in danger' while held captive in Libyan hotel

The two Marumo Gallants staff members, physio Tebogo Amos Dhlomo and media manager Rufus Matsena, said they feared their lives were in danger when they were being held captive for nearly three weeks in a Libyan hotel over a financial dispute with the hotel's owner.

Dhlomo and Matsena returned to South Africa on Sunday after they were allegedly held hostage by hotel owner Dr Ali Elzargha, in whose establishment Gallants stayed for their CAF Confederation Cup clash on 19 March with Al Akhdar SC.

While the rest of the Gallants team departed the city of Benghazi, the two remained behind to help facilitate the outstanding payment of flight bookings that Elzargha made on behalf of the club en route to the country.

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However, Gallants chairperson Abram Sello said they faced difficulties transferring the funds into the country as there were no functioning electronic payments systems and everything had to be settled in cash.

Matters came to a head when Elzargha allegedly inflated the outstanding amount to about R700 000, which Sello said was higher than the original cost.

However, after intervention from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), the matter was resolved and the two South Africans returned home.

"I would say we did feel our lives were in danger at some point," said Dhlomo.

"My passport was with me but they took Matsena’s. We were feeling uncomfortable with that.

"The experience affected me in a way that, when I saw that my family was no longer comfortable, then that’s when I felt uncomfortable and that I was in danger.

"When you see how Benghazi is - vandalised buildings, the army - you will get scared. We