NATIONAL NEWS - The mother of a South African teacher missing in Vietnam, Coleen Bothma, hopes to soon be en route to personally go and look for her son.
John Bothma (22) has been missing in this country exactly a month on Monday. He was teaching at Hurong Canh Secondary School in Binh Xuyen, Phuc Province the past six months. His work visa, sponsored by the Institute for Training and Economic development, expired on May 26.
Not much has come to light after his disappearance May 18. John visited a friend in Ho Chi Minh City around the time of his disappearance.
According to Coleen, John was last seen with a Vietnamese woman the night before his disappearance, and returned to his hostel the same evening. Nobody has any idea who this woman was, but Coleen said the woman had been reached by authorities for questioning.
The woman told authorities John never mentioned what his plans would be the next day, the day of his disappearance. She didn’t get any helpful information about his whereabouts nor did she notice anything abnormal about his behaviour.
Coleen, a nurse at doctors’ room in Kempton Park, puts up a strong appearance to distract herself from her nightmare. “I keep calling him every day, sending messages but no answers. It’s really starting to get me down,” she said.
