Blogger, journalist and podcaster James Murua has called upon the Kenyan government and the African Union (AU) to secure the release of his wife, popular South African author Zukiswa Wanner, who was allegedly abducted by Israeli forces.
In a statement released following her disappearance, Murua revealed that she was part of a South African delegation that had gone to Gaza to deliver food and medicine.
Wanner was reportedly abducted on Thursday October 2, after the Israeli military intercepted over 40 Global Sumud Flotilla boats carrying aid to Gaza. More than 450 foreign activists were taken captive, including Wanner.
"In any other situation, I wouldn’t be worried about the safety of my partner, but the Israelis have shown singular cruelty to anyone who stands in the way of their mission to eradicate Palestinians from the face of the earth," he stated.
Adding: "I appeal directly to the government of Kenya, where she has been resident for the last fourteen years, and the African Union, to do everything in its power to get her and others who have been kidnapped by the Israeli regime."
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) is a maritime aid and solidarity mission, aiming to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade. It involves dozens of vessels and hundreds of volunteers from many countries.
Wanner, together with the activists, was reportedly detained on board and taken to Israel.
A video, which appeared pre-recorded, shows Wanner calling for the South African government to facilitate her release.
“My name is Zukiswa Wanner. I am a South African citizen. If you are watching this, it means that I have been kidnapped by the Israeli Occupying Forces and taken to Israel. Please tell the South African government to get me released,” she said.
The interception is said to have happened in international waters, about 70 nautical miles off Gaza, prompting questions about whether Israel’s actions were right by international law.
After the alleged abduction, Israel has yet to release an official statement, even after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for the release of South Africans kidnapped or abducted in international waters.
Who is Zukiswa Wanner
Born in Lusaka, Zambia in 1976, Wanner made a name for herself with bestselling novels such as The Madams (2006), Behind Every Successful Man (2008), Men of the South (2010), and London Cape Town Joburg (2014).
Her work extends beyond writing as she is deeply involved in cultural activism, publishing, and human rights issues. In 2024, she returned the Goethe Medal in protest of what she saw as Germany’s complicity or silence regarding the war in Gaza.
She has drawn parallels between apartheid in South Africa and what Palestinians experience, including checkpoints and movement restrictions.
In 2024, she was awarded the South African Secular Society’s Secularist of the Year Award for her activism in gender justice, social justice, and secularism.
The Israel- Gaza (Palestine) Conflict
The history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine dates back to control over Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, territories whose borders remain contested.
In October 2023, the Islamist group Hamas launched a large-scale attack into southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking hostages, triggering a full-scale war.
In response, Israel fired extensive airstrikes and a ground invasion in Gaza, citing self-defence.
The conflict has led to tens of thousands of civilian fatalities, the destruction of infrastructure, and the displacement of millions, prompting severe shortages of food, water, medicines, and shelter.
