Steven Gruzd, husband, father, and a senior researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), disappeared on the evening of 27 March after attending a meeting in Corlett Gardens in north-eastern Johannesburg. Within hours, police and community security structures had mobilised. By early the next morning five suspects had been arrested. During questioning, one led police to Gruzd’s body, which was found at the George Goch Hostel, about 10 kilometres south of Corlett Gardens.

Gruzd was a senior researcher and foreign policy analyst who headed the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at SAIIA, where he had worked for over two decades. His work focused on African politics, diplomacy, and South Africa’s role on the continent. He contributed regularly to the South African Jewish Report and was a regular guest on Chai FM, providing analysis on international and domestic developments. Colleagues described him as having a “brilliant mind” and a “gentle spirit”.

Gruzd was also an avid Scrabble player and was regularly ranked as one of the top players in South Africa. He had also participated in Scrabble tournaments abroad.

He leaves behind his wife Mandy, and his two daughters, Megan and Lauren.

Terence Corrigan, a researcher and writer at the Institute of Race Relations who had previously worked with Gruzd at SAIIA, said: “I had known Steve since 2006. A wonderful, caring person. Thoroughly professional in his work, empathetic to his colleagues. I owe him a great deal. He was an absolute pillar of Africa’s good governance agenda; I wonder if something like the African Peer Review Mechanism would even have survived without his efforts and the work that he presided over at SAIIA.

“He was a constant in my life from the time we met. He was my friend. For myself, I’ve lost something very important to me, both personally and professionally. South Africa and the continent at large have lost a committed thinker and activist for a better future. The Jewish community has lost an incredible ambassador, and someone who embodies the best of that remarkable people. His family have suffered a body blow – and nothing meant more to Steve than his wife Mandy and his daughters Lauren and Megan,” Corrigan said.

The Community Security Organisation, which was involved in the search for Gruzd, has described the incident as an “express kidnapping”, carried out for ransom and robbery rather than ideological motives.

Express kidnapping refers to a form of abduction in which victims are held for a short period, typically hours or days, and compelled to transfer money, withdraw cash, or grant access to financial accounts. The defining feature is speed. There is no extended negotiation, and the objective is immediate extraction of funds.

Research by BioCatch, a financial security company, shows that this type of crime is increasing as financial systems become harder to penetrate digitally. As banks strengthen authentication processes and fraud detection, criminals shift toward coercing victims directly to approve transactions. This includes forcing victims to unlock banking apps, authorise payments, or provide one-time passwords to access funds.

A typical case may unfold as follows. A driver is stopped or taken during a hijacking or abduction and driven to an isolated location. The victim is then forced to unlock their phone and banking applications. Under threat, they are instructed to transfer funds, increase daily payment limits, or approve transactions using one-time passwords sent to their device. In some cases, victims are taken to ATMs to withdraw cash repeatedly. The entire process can take place over a few hours, after which the victim is released or, in more severe cases, killed to eliminate identification risk.

South African crime data reflects a broader environment in which this model can take hold. Kidnapping incidents have increased sharply over the past decade, rising by approximately 264%, according to analysis by the Institute for Security Studies. In real terms, reported cases have climbed from 4 692 incidents in 2014 to 17 061 in 2023, based on South African Police Service data.

This equates to roughly 50 kidnappings a day, with Gauteng accounting for just over half of all cases.

The structure of the crime reduces both time exposure and operational risk for perpetrators. Shorter detention periods limit the window for police response, while immediate financial gain removes the uncertainty associated with longer ransom negotiations.