A late-night journey through Khayelitsha on Friday turned into a harrowing 40-minute ordeal for three members of the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers. The group, consisting of a male driver and two female colleagues, was ambushed and kidnapped at gunpoint by seven armed men.

The attackers cut off the team’s vehicle before forcing them out and bundling them into a blue Toyota Yaris. Two of the hijackers then drove off in the organisation’s branded van, while the others sped away with the terrified staff members still inside the Yaris.

The ordeal reached a chilling climax when the hijackers abandoned the team in the middle of a dark informal settlement with no electricity. The suspects had stolen the Gift of the Givers bakkie and attempted to disable its tracker by stripping the dashboard. In doing so, they accidentally triggered the panic alarm linked to Tracker Connect.

Hijacked Gift of the Givers car in Khayelitsha recovered pic.twitter.com/a8J8heyuQ3

— Veve (@LudidiVelani) October 3, 2025

Project coordinator Ali Sablay confirmed the incident, stating:

“Gift of the Givers regrets to confirm that members of our team were hijacked in Lingelethu West last night while on duty.”

He described how quickly the attack unfolded:

“At a stop street, a blue Toyota Yaris suddenly cut in front of their vehicle. Within seconds, five to seven armed men emerged from nearby structures and forcefully removed our team at gunpoint. The team was bundled into the Yaris, while two of the suspects sped off in the sponsored Gift of the Givers van.”

According to Sablay, the hijackers’ attempt to remove the vehicle’s tracker device inadvertently saved the victims’ lives.

“The suspects drove our staff to a secluded location surrounded by informal structures with no electricity. In their attempt to locate and remove the vehicle’s tracker device, they stripped the dashboard and inadvertently triggered the panic alarm. Johnny Jaftha from Tracker Connect immediately sprang into action upon receiving the alert. Despite the evident danger of the area and without back-up, he selflessly put his own life at risk to locate and assist our team. His courageous efforts are deeply appreciated.”

Jaftha’s intervention, along with the swift response from law enforcement, led to the safe recovery of the victims and the vehicle. Sablay expressed gratitude to the Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile and members of the South African Police Service for their rapid response.

“The vehicle is currently in police custody for further investigation. Our staff members are understandably deeply traumatised, having been driven around for close to 40 minutes in an area where Gift of the Givers has been actively involved in social upliftment and disaster relief projects for many years.”

Sablay also praised the local leadership and residents who took action to find the abducted staff.

“A special word of appreciation goes to Councillor Lonwabo Mqina and the community of Khayelitsha, who mobilised and drove around in search of our team. Their visible anger and frustration at this criminal act speak to their solidarity with our mission and the deep community ties we share.”

Despite the trauma, Sablay reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to serving all South Africans in distress, saying Gift of the Givers would continue its humanitarian efforts,

“despite the risks our teams sometimes face.”

Outside the Lingelethu West police station, Councillor Mqina urged the community to protect those who serve them.

“The Gift of the Givers have helped this community when we had disasters like floods and fires. We appeal to the community to protect such people and their vehicles. We plead to our brothers to stop attacking such people; they will eventually decide not to come into the area because of this.”

While police investigations are ongoing, the Western Cape police have not yet issued an official response to questions regarding the hijacking. The incident has reignited conversations about safety concerns for humanitarian workers who regularly enter volatile communities to deliver aid.

The attack serves as a sobering reminder of the risks faced by those dedicated to helping others, and the urgent need for greater protection and cooperation between communities and law enforcement.