Kidnapped SA couple expected home today

Pretoria - The two South Africans who were recently freed by Somali pirates are to touch down in the country this afternoon.

Debra Calitz and Bruno Pelizzari were taken hostage off the Gulf of Aden in October 2010 after armed pirates hijacked their yacht as it was about to enter the Mozambique channel south of Dar es Salaam.

The couple will be received by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, when they land.

Last week, the South African government expressed gratitude to both Somali and Italian governments for their roles in securing the release of the couple.